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Jack London's Personal Notebook

Title: Jack London's High School Geometry Notebook with later additions of writing notes and ideas
Author: London, Jack
Description: Manuscript notebook of card wrappers printed "Royal Note Book No. 61" containing approximately 57 leaves sewn at head. Autographed by Jack London on front "Jack London - Geometry" and inscribed "A.V.A. '96" on added cloth strip at spine.A sort of palimpsest begun as Jack London's High School Geometry notebook. Many leaves filled with problems or lessons have been covered over with typed notes containing Jack's ideas including lists of different vernacular words or phrases; names (including odd European given and surnames, Hawaiian and Japanese names); several typed lists of curses of all kinds; topics for conversation; quotes from other writers; for stories, essays, etc. Additionally, several pages have Jack London's autograph notes, including story and character ideas; many of these pages are also covered with typed notes. Clearly this was the beginning author's working idea book, as described in "Martin Eden": "New lists continually displaced the old ones. Every strange or partly familiar word encountered in his reading was immediately jotted down, and later, when a sufficient number had been accumulated, were typed and pinned to the wall or looking glass . . . He drew up lists of effective and fetching mannerisms, till out of many such, culled from many writers, he was able to induce the general principle of mannerism, and, thus equipped, to cast about for new and original ones of his own." (pp 196-197). This is an important and rich source for scholarly investigation, no doubt containing many of the seeds of London's later works.
Heading: Place Published: N.P.
Publisher:
Date Published: 1896 and later