Heading:
Author: London, Jack
Title: Three letters from Jack London to his step-nephew John Miller, regarding the latter's employment or lack thereof
Place Published: Glen Ellen, CA
Publisher:
Date Published: 1915 & 1916
Description:

Typed letters signed by Jack London. On full sheets of typing paper with London's Glen Ellen rubberstamp in upper left corner, each with mailing envelope addressed to John Miller, 490 27th Street, Oakland, CA.

Jack London writes sternly to his step-nephew, who as not been as active in supporting himself as Jack though he should be:

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  December 2, 1915, 1 page. "Dear Johnnie: It strikes me that the time has arrived for me to have a man-talk with you... Do you realize that I have taken care of you ever since you were a baby? Do you realize that I have always kept the roof over your head and maintained the bed in which you slept?... I am compelled to take up the case of Mammy Jenny. Why in hell can not you see your way to paying Mammy Jenny ten of fifteen dollars a month for the work she is doing in the house for you and Grandma all the time?... Also, if you feel that I am wrong in any way, if you feel that you do not owe me anything, if you feel that I owe you anything, please come out and talk like a man upon the matter..."


• 
  December 8, 2015, 1¾ pages. "...In your last sentence of your letter you say: 'I will close now, hoping that this letter will stand as our man to man talk'... You have not said anything yet. This man to man talk, at least from your side, has not yet come off... You have said... that you pay small amounts to Mammy Jenny now and then. I have not the slightest idea what you mean... You assure me that you do not spend your money on women, on gambling, or on drinking. Very well. Since you do not spend your $70 a month in this fashion, suppose you tell me just how you do spend it... let us start today with a clean sheet, What are you prepared to do for yourself out of your $70 a month from now on. I am ready to listen..."


• 
  October 7, 2016, 3 lines, simply: "In reply to yours of September 22, 1916 - All right, let it go at that."

Letters from Jack London to his rather wayward and apparently shiftless step-nephew John G. "Johnnie" Miller, revealing something of the London family dynamic. Accompanied by a note from Russ Kingman to Wayne Martin, Aug. 8, 1993, noting that "I am reasonably positive that the letters you have constitute the entire correspondence from Jack to Johnny."

Very good condition.