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.”