• Are these your cats?
• Do you feed them?
• Did all of these books come from Jack London's library?
• Are your books sterilized?
• Is this a library?
• Do you work here?
• Do you make any money selling books?
• Who is Jack London?
• Are you Jack London?
• Is this your wife?   Are you married?
• Did people give these books to you?
• Do you buy books?   No!   We grow them in our potato patch.
• Have you read any of Jack London's books?
• Is Jack London's daughter related to Jack London?
• As they stare at my computer: Do you use your computer for business?
• As they look at A Pictorial: Is your name Kingman?   Yes.
• Did you write this book?   No, my cat wrote it.
• Do you have a bathroom?   No, we use a litter box.
• Do you have a phone?   No, we use semaphore flags.

What a great question!! But hard. Let me think about this one. If in the next few months a good line comes up from the depths, I'll send it along. Right now, I'm inclined to think that Russ wouldn't have written what those who loved him would have written, but instead something like--"Carry on!"

--Joanne Jefferys Amberson

Russ's own epitaph. "Pardon me if I don't stand." Sorry, a minor tombstone joke. Russ's own epitaph is better left to those who knew him well.

--Frank Broz

I solved mysteries; now I've solved the Mystery.

--Daniel Dyer

SWEAT THE DETAILS.

--Loren Estleman

As for the epitaph, he might have wanted something like: "Here lies Russ Kingman . . . Frankly, I'd rather be working."

--Andy Flink

"I did my best."

--Darwin (Jon) Kingman

"I, too, have used my time."

--Earle Labor

"Here lies the man who knew more about Jack London than anyone else."

--Susan Nuernberg

An epitaph for Russ? Stet! [Let it stand!] Russ checked his facts so carefully--scrutinized them. Any error in any book by Russ Kingman is typographical.

--Victor R.S. Tambling

"He, like the Jack London he loved, had no mentor but himself."

--Dale L. Walker

Russ Kingman
August 8, 2023
"Snark Hunter"
Sailed on a Celestial Cruise of the Snark
To the Islands of Infinity
December 21, 2023

--Warren and Toby Watson

Dear Daddy, I sent you a card last year
When Father's day rolled around;
But it really was too early to know
If my position truly was sound.

I wasn't the sweetest of kitty cats,
I realize that--and I know
It took a great deal of patience
For you to keep loving me so.

I wouldn't let you love me,
I'd turn and run away;
I'd pull away or slap your hand
If I didn't want to play.

But you kept right on loving me,
And don't you think it paid?
Aren't I the nicest Missy
In the Kitty Cat Parade?

I love my home and family,
The best I've ever had;
So here's a happy Father's Day
To my very special Dad!

With love from your Missy

Dear Daddy,
Haven't I been good this year,
An almost-perfect cat?
I've really tried so hard to please
It's hard sometimes at that!

It's really been a struggle
To overcome my past,
But I think that I am almost there--
I'll make it soon--at last!

I love it in the morning
When I accordion to you;
And then the comby-comby
Which thrills me through and through.

If you just keep on loving me,
Do you know what you will find?
A great big loving kitty cat
With just one thought in mind.

I love you!
Missy

Ready or not--you are today
Ten times seven, or twice thirty-five!
When you were younger you didn't think
You'd even be alive.
You would never reach forty, you said to yourself.
But somehow the years slipped by;
Forty, then fifty, and sixty, and then
Goodness sakes! Oh my!
Here you are on the bottom rung
Of a brand new ladder of ten,
With many more years to enjoy the climb
And to reach the top again.
Almost 46 of these 70 years
We have shared as man and wife;
So we now have been together
More than 2/3 of your life!
I'm looking forward to many more years
With you by my side, my Dear,
So here's to your 70th Birthday--
It's really just one more year.

All my love,
Winnie

Read - Winnie Kingman: The Final Chapter (PDF file)