Debunking the usual story of the woman behind the famous man
American Dreamers: Charmian and Jack London.. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; paperback, iUniverse, 1999; translated to Chinese. This dual biography was a corrective of previous biographies of London that belittled and misrepresented his second wife. It examines their separate upbringings as 19th century Californians, and their extraordinary adventures during eleven years of marriage. This was a major leap of faith, because at that point I was still a sociologist by trade, and embarking into a field of research that required very different skills. I grew enamored of long days reading diaries and letters from decades ago. Now two decades old, this book continues to draw readers and interest, and remains my favorite book
Iconoclasts of the rich
The Vanderbilt Women: Dynasty of Wealth, Glamour, and Power. St. Martin's Press, 1991; paperback, iUniverse, 1999. Book of the Month Club Alternate Selection. This began as a biography of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the brilliant wealthy suffragist theorist of the National Women's Party, but soon expanded to cover four generations of women in the family as a way of examining changing gender roles and power. Alva's daughter Consuelo became the Duchess of Marlborough, and also supported women's rights overseas. Others given lengthy attention were the sculptress and creator of the Whitney Museum, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and Gloria Vanderbilt., who became a prominent businesswoman. These women broke with major unspoken rules of their caste in seeking lives of greater assertion and independence.
Greater wealth toward the greater good
The Rockefeller Women: Dynasty of Piety, Privacy, and Service. St. Martin's Press, 1995, paperback, iUniverse, 1999. This elite family set very different standards from the Vanderbilts, for it was born in hardrock Protestant social consciousness. Here women more shaped male achievement, and were more restricted in their self-expression. John D.'s daughter Edith McCormick was a major Chicago philanthropist and studied with Carl Jung for many years, yet was belittled by her father and brother. The wives managed significant contributions, such as Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, an originator of the Museum of Modern Art, and Blanchette Rockefeller, who established standards for socially prominent women to contribute to boards once denied to females. Mary Rockefeller was a lifelong environmentalist, while Happy Rockefeller helped break barriers concerning breast cancer.
A man known for masculine virtues surrounded by independent women
Jack London's Women. Amherst, MA: Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 2002.
This is a complex revisionist biography, based upon recently available source material, and a reinterpretation of my own earlier held views. This study included London's misunderstood mother, Flora Wellman; his African American "foster mother," Virginia Prentiss; Eliza London Shepard, his stepsister; his first wife, Bess Maddern; his major early love, socialist Anna Strunsky; daughters Joan and Becky; and second wife Charmian Kittredge. These women all shaped London's life in significant ways, yet also were to some extent enthralled by his powerful personality and resources. For some lives, the path was great reward and opportunity, while for others the result was turmoil and tragedy. Regardless, they represent a powerful feminine influence upon London, and their relationships with him reflect the changes in gender expectations of the Progressive era and beyond.
This is a complex revisionist biography, based upon recently available source material, and a reinterpretation of my own earlier held views. This study included London's misunderstood mother, Flora Wellman; his African American "foster mother," Virginia Prentiss; Eliza London Shepard, his stepsister; his first wife, Bess Maddern; his major early love, socialist Anna Strunsky; daughters Joan and Becky; and second wife Charmian Kittredge. These women all shaped London's life in significant ways, yet also were to some extent enthralled by his powerful personality and resources. For some lives, the path was great reward and opportunity, while for others the result was turmoil and tragedy. Regardless, they represent a powerful feminine influence upon London, and their relationships with him reflect the changes in gender expectations of the Progressive era and beyond.
