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Spartan Surfers

1876–1916

Jack London

American writer who went to the Klondike gold rush at 21. The Call of the Wild (1903) follows a sled dog who returns to the wild.

5 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life.

    London describes the peak moments when a creature is wholly alive. The artist, the soldier and the hunting dog all know it. Seek the work or wildness that takes you there.

    The Call of the Wild (1903), ch. 3, Original English (The Call of the Wild, 1903)

  2. When you are most alive, you forget you are alive.

    At full intensity, self-consciousness disappears. You are not watching yourself; you are just doing it. That is the state worth chasing.

    The Call of the Wild (1903), ch. 3, Original English (The Call of the Wild, 1903)

  3. The sheer surging of life. The tidal wave of being.

    London compares Buck's joy in running under the stars to a tidal wave. Life at full power feels like the sea moving through you. Go find that feeling outdoors.

    The Call of the Wild (1903), ch. 3, Original English (The Call of the Wild, 1903)

  4. Master or be mastered.

    In the wild, London writes, there was no middle course for Buck. In human life, the line works best turned inward: master your habits or they master you. Take charge of yourself.

    The Call of the Wild (1903), ch. 6, Original English (The Call of the Wild, 1903)

  5. Life turned fiercer. He faced it uncowed.

    Buck learns harsh lessons fast but refuses to be broken by them. Hard facts call for clear eyes, not cowering. Face it head on.

    The Call of the Wild (1903), ch. 1, Original English (The Call of the Wild, 1903)