E. B. White
Elwyn Brooks White (
July 12,
1899 -
October 1,
1985) was an
American essayist,
author and noted prose stylist. He is most famous today for writers'
style guide The Elements of Style and for three children's books generally considered to be classics of the field.
White was born in Mount Vernon, New York and graduated from Cornell University (his nickname "Andy" derives from Cornell cofounder Andrew Dickson White). He spent several years working as a newspaper writer and ad man before returning to New York City in 1924.
He published his first article in the newly founded The New Yorker magazine in 1925, then joined the staff in 1927. This made his fame for the next few decades, as he produced a long series of essays for them that were widely read as the magazine grew in influence. Over time he became the most important contributor to The New Yorker at a time when it was arguably the most important American literary magazine. He also served as a columnist for Harper's Magazine from 1938 to 1943.
In the late 1930s he turned his hand to children's fiction on behalf of a niece. His first children's book Stuart Little was published in 1945, and Charlotte's Web appeared in 1952. Both were highly acclaimed, and in 1970 jointly won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, a major prize in the field of children's literature. In the same year, he published his third children's novel, The Trumpet of the Swan.
In 1959 he edited and updated the classic The Elements of Style. Originally written and published in 1918 by William Strunk Jr, the book is a handbook of grammatical and stylistic dos and don'ts for written American English. White had studied under Strunk while at Cornell in the years following World War I. Further editions of the work followed in 1972, 1979, and 2000. It is a standard accessory for students and writers.
In 1978 he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for his work as a whole. Other awards he received included a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, and memberships in a variety of literary societies throughout the United States.
He died on October 1, 1985 of Alzheimer's Disease at his farm home in North Brooklin, Maine.
White married Katharine Sergeant Angell in 1929, also an editor at the magazine and author (as Katharine White) of Onward and Upward in the Garden. They had a son, Joel, a boatbuilder. Katharine's son from her first marriage, Roger Angell, was a fiction editor for the New Yorker, but is perhaps better known as a baseball writer.
White's style was stereotypically "Yankee": wry, understated, thoughtful, and informed. He was widely regarded as a master of the English language as writer's tool, noted for clear, well-constructed, and charming prose.
Bibliography
- Essays
- One Man's Meat
- The Second Tree from the Corner
- The Essays of E.B. White
- Letters of E.B. White
- Poems and Sketches of E.B. White
- The Wild Flag
- Children's Books
- Other Topics
- The Elements of Style (with William Strunk Jr)
- A Subtreasury of American Humor (1941), edited by E.B. White and Katharine S. White
- Is Sex Necessary (with James Thurber)
- This is New York
External Links
In the News
University of California: California Residency Information
Information about the residency requirements to qualify for in-state tuition fees while attending the University of California. "To be considered a California resident for purposes of fees, an out-of-state student must have lived in California for more than one year preceding the residence determination date, relinquish residence in other states, show an intent to establish residency in California and demonstrate financial independence."Includes links to information for individual campuses. Being Fat Needn't Be All Bad News
Many individuals become type 2 diabetics because the cells of their body no longer respond to insulin. It is thought that one reason over eating causes insulin resistance is that fat is deposited in organs of the body, such as the liver, rather than in the fat tissue. [Odd] Skeletal Remains Found In Chimney
LOS ANGELES - Skeletal remains found in the chimney of a vacant South Los Angeles building appear to be those of a black male between the ages of 13 and 19, the coroner's office reported Monday. An examination by a forensic anthropologist also indicated that the skeleton may have been in the chimney for more than two years, according to coroner's Lt. Fred Corral. History of Toys and Games
This exhibit on toy and game history features a timeline (4000 B.C. to the 1990s), essays on inventors (such as Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley) and toys (Barbie dolls, crayons, and teddy bears), and a quiz. From the website for the History Channel. Learning Each Other's Languages: L.V. McWhorter and the Columbia Plate
Companion to a 2005-2006 exhibition with the theme of "[tribal historian and author] Lucullus Virgil McWhorter's role as a cultural mediator between Anglo Americans and the native peoples of the Columbia Plateau."Includes exhibit panels, photos of the exhibit, and a downloadable exhibit guide. The exhibit was curated by graduate students. From Washington State University Libraries. Beguiling but Beware: AJAX, VoIP
They are slick and gaining popularity, but voice over internet protocol and AJAX have some big security problems that will probably get worse before they get better. Quinn Norton reports from San Diego. Aggressive Stem Cells Might Improve Transplant Outcome
Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in mice a way that might reduce the time it takes for a bone marrow transplant to rebuild a child's immune system, and so reduce the risk of potentially fatal virus infections that can occur during this time. JavaScript Hack Enables Flash on iPhone
A clever JavaScript programmer has figured out how to do what was previously impossible on an iPhone: Run Flash apps.
 Prescription Opioid Abuse More Prevalent Than Heroin, Canadian Study R
A new study conducted in seven Canadian cities reveals that prescription opioids, and not heroin, are the major form of illicit opioid use. These findings raise questions about the current focus of Canada's drug control policy and treatment programs. Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Official site for the Audubon Society "early-winter bird census, where volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day."Provides background on the count, which occurs annually from December 14 to January 5, and current and historical data from counts. Also includes a bibliography of scientific articles, photo galleries, and documents for compilers. From the Audubon Society.
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