Writings from The New Yorker, 1927-1976

by E. B. White

Overview

A wise, witty, spirited collection of short pieces and essays by the inimitable E. B. White.

Written for the New Yorker over a span of forty-nine years, these 161 pieces show White’s changing concerns and development as a writer. In matchless style White writes about everything from cicadas to Khrushchev, from Thoreau to hyphens, from academic freedom to lipstick, from New York garbagemen to the sparrow, from Maine to the space age, from the Constitution to Harold Ross and even the common cold.

White has been described by one critic as “our finest essayist,” and these short works and essays are classics to be read, savored, and read again. Also included are an Introduction and Selective Bibliography by Rebecca M. Dale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060921231
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/12/2006
Series:	Harper Perennial
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	679,885
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

E. B. White, the author of such beloved classics as Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of the New Yorker magazine, then in its infancy. He died on October 1, 1985, and was survived by his son and three grandchildren.

Mr. White's essays have appeared in Harper's magazine, and some of his other books are: One Man's Meat, The Second Tree from the Corner, Letters of E. B. White, Essays of E. B. White, and Poems and Sketches of E. B. White. He won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which commended him for making a "substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children."

During his lifetime, many young readers asked Mr. White if his stories were true. In a letter written to be sent to his fans, he answered, "No, they are imaginary tales . . . But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination."

Date of Birth:

July 11, 1899

Date of Death:

October 1, 1985

Place of Birth:

Mount Vernon, New York

Place of Death:

North Brooklin, Maine

Education:

B.A., Cornell University, 1921

Website:

http://www.harperchildrens.com/hch/author/author/white/

Editorial Reviews

Anything written by E.B. White must be cherished by writers and readers. . . . More than 150 of his unsigned pieces, mostly from the magazine’s opening section, ‘Notes and Comment,’ have been unearthed by Rebecca M. Dale for this delightful book.” — Herbert Mitgang, New York Times

From the Publisher

Essayist and author of such children's favorites as Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, White also served as an editorial writer for The New Yorker . Many of these short pieces have been included in this collection, which traces White's development as a writer from his short, almost flippant works of the Twenties and Thirties to the longer, more thoughtful and penetrating essays of the Forties and Fif ties. Wide-ranging in subject matter, these essays tackle such diverse subjects as Khrushchev, re volving doors, and Sunday drivers in New York, all with a sense of humor. Besides bringing all these gems together, this book offers a valuable historical perspective, especially of the Cold War years, and some lessons for our present-day leaders. Recommended for most libraries.-- Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

Library Journal