Author Spotlight: E. B. White


Elwyn Brooks White, better known as E. B. White, gave us Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, two books that continue to inspire adventure in children years after he passed away.

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White was born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1899 to artistic parents. As a child, he was exposed to visual arts, especially by his brother Stanley, who taught him how to read and explore the natural world. White followed in his family’s tradition in the arts and finished a bachelor of arts degree at Cornell University in 1921. While at Cornell, White was able to develop his writing skills as editor of the Cornell Daily Sun.

Following his graduation from Cornell, White worked for what is now United Press International and American News Service. He then moved to the Seattle Times, where he worked as a cub reporter. After building a small career in reporting, White shifted to advertising, working as a production assistant and copywriter at the Frank Seaman advertising agency.

In 1924, White returned to New York City. One year later, the New Yorker was founded, and White submitted his work for publication and was published within a few months. Two years later, he was invited to become a staff writer for the New Yorker, working in the office on Thursdays. White worked for the New Yorker as a writer and contributor for over six decades and was one of the publication’s most important contributors. White was known for writing essays and “Notes and Comments” pieces. He also started what the magazine called “newsbreaks,” which were short comments on oddly worded printed materials.

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However, White’s name is probably most recognized for his children’s books. One of his most popular works is Charlotte’s Web. The novel tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a livestock pig named Wilbur and a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered, Charlotte writes messages on her web, praising the pig to stop the slaughter. The book won the Newbery Medal in 1953. It has been adapted into various media multiple times over the years, the latest being a live-action film starring Dakota Fanning as Fern and Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte. To this day, it is still one of the best-selling books worldwide.

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White also wrote yet another animal-inspired story that is beloved by many: Stuart Little. This novel came before Charlotte’s Web, in 1945. Stuart Little tells the story of a mouse who was born to human parents. The idea for the novel came to White in a dream, where he saw a boy who acted a lot like a rat. Stuart Little was adapted into a film in 1999, starring Michael J. Fox as the voice of Stuart Little. White was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 1970 for writing these two children’s novels.

Other than his books and his reporting, one of White’s most important contributions is editing and updating The Elements of Style, a book that contained grammatical and stylistic guidance for writers. The book was first published by William Strunk Jr., one of White’s professors at Cornell, in 1918. White updated the style guide in 1959.

White received many awards for his work as a reporter, essayist, and novelist. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and the National Medal for Literature in 1971. He also received a 1978 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for Letters. White passed away on October 1, 1985, in Maine.

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