White, E. B. (1899-1985), was an American author. He was known chiefly as an essay writer, but he also wrote poetry and children’s books. His essays, which deal with both serious and light subjects, have a clear, witty style. White wrote in an informal, personal manner.
White wrote three children’s books. Stuart Little (1945) tells of a mouse with human parents, and Charlotte’s Web (1952) concerns a girl, a pig, and a spider. The Trumpet of the Swan (1970) is about a swan without a voice. In these books, which deal with friendship and love, the animals talk and act like people.
Published collections of White’s writings include Letters of E. B. White (1976), Essays of E. B. White (1977), and Poems and Sketches of E. B. White (1981). White wrote about a wide range of topics, including baseball, farming, and marriage. Many of White’s works tell of his life in Maine.
Elwyn Brooks White was born on July 11, 1899, in Mount Vernon, New York. He spent much of his life in Maine. He started writing for The New Yorker magazine in 1925 and strongly influenced its literary style. White’s collection Writings from The New Yorker, 1925-1976 was published in 1990. He won a Pulitzer Prize special citation in 1978 for his writings. He died on Oct. 1, 1985.
