Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or hatch — a quote from Charlotte’s Web isn’t much different from the act of reading and writing itself, with the act of living taking center stage.
Elwyn Brooks White, commonly (and lovingly) known as E B White, was an American writer who wrote extensively spanning across forms and mediums, with his most popular writings being hugely celebrated children’s books like ‘Stuart Little’, ‘Charlotte’s Web’, ‘The Trumpet of the Swan’, etc.
Born on 11th July 1899 in New York, United States; White became fond of States and especially New York’s charm, much of which was reflected in his later writings. He pursued an Arts degree and began contributing to publications. He joined The New Yorker and wrote regular pieces for the publication for decades while it turned into a literary cultural hotbed.
White simultaneously began writing children’s books, the first of which was named ‘Stuart Little’, a fantasy adventure about a mouse born in a family of human beings. The origin of the story is a curious case study in itself. One random night, while White was asleep in a train sleeping compartment, he dreamed about a little boy who acted weird having turned into a rat. A premise born straight out of the man’s subconscious, eventually turning into an absolute classic over time.
This book was followed by another to-be classic named ‘Charlotte’s Web’, a story about a pig who is to be slaughtered but is somehow saved by a spider named Charlotte. Set in a quiet cosy village, the book is filled with a beautiful childlike innocence and a sense of inherent goodness that runs the world at large. Life, death, bonding; all seen through a lens of tenderness intrigued young readers and turned this book into another all-time classic.
The ‘Trumpet of the Swan’ is a story about a mute trumpeter swan who learns the instrument and the art to impress a certain someone, another adorable Swan. This simple summer story stirred a joyous range of emotions within its readers, while also covering the larger beats of a traditional bildungsroman as the protagonist with the passage of time comes of age and learns to express himself through music. The subtle layer signifying the importance of expression also resonated with readers alike.
White’s much-talked-about essays earned him a reputation that has a humongous significance of its own, precisely in the New York literary circuit. His essay ‘Here is New York’ is a living and breathing example of how writing can transport you to a city that the writer has loved with all his might, reminiscent of the vulnerable tenderness with which the likes of Marcel Proust and James Joyce wrote.
White fondly loved animals, creatures, farm life, and nature in general. These elements seamlessly made it to his writings time and again. His quietness and simplicity are reflected in his stories. Eventually, White and his wife Katharine moved to a farm and settled there for many good years.
White writes — “A library is a good place to go to when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go to when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”
That’s how you read, write, live, and love!
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