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Elwyn Brooks White

イー・ビー・ホワイト

E.B. Howaito

Pen Names: Lee Strout White（Pseudonym used for some works (e.g., Farewell to Model T)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1899-07-11 （Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.）
Died
1985-10-01 （North Brooklin / Brooklin, Maine, U.S.） age 86
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Mount Vernon, New York (birthplace) → New York City (worked for The New Yorker) → Brooklin, Maine (farm home / later life)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Essayist, Children's author
Active Years
1921-1985
Influenced By
William Strunk Jr., Stanley Hart White (brother)
Influenced
Kurt Vonnegut, Roger Angell, Kate DiCamillo

Education

Cornell University
Degree: BA
Period: 1918–1921
Year of Graduation: 1921
Country: United States
Served as editor of The Cornell Daily Sun; nicknamed 'Andy' at Cornell.

Awards

Newbery Honor
1953
Work: Charlotte's Web
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: 受賞
American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal
1960
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: 受賞
Presidential Medal of Freedom
1963
Organization: United States Presidential Office
Result: 受賞
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
1970
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Result: 受賞
National Medal for Literature
1971
Organization: National Medal for Literature (U.S.)
Result: 受賞
L. L. Winship / PEN New England Award
1977
Work: Letters of E. B. White
Organization: PEN New England
Result: 受賞
Pulitzer Prize Special Citation
1978
Work: Letters, essays and the full body of his work
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes
Result: 受賞（特別表彰）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Stuart Little

1945 Children's literature

The adventures of Stuart Little, a small mouse-like boy living in a human family in New York, exploring themes of identity and belonging.

IdentityAdventureFamily
Translations
  • Stuart Little

Charlotte's Web

1952 Children's literature

The story of Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, a tale of friendship, life, and sacrifice set on a farm.

FriendshipLife and deathNature
Adaptations
  • [Film] Charlotte's Web / Gary Winick (2006)
  • [Animated film] Charlotte's Web (1973) / チャールズ・A・ニコルズ (1973)
Translations
  • Charlotte's Web

The Trumpet of the Swan

1970 Children's literature

A mute swan named Louis learns to play a trumpet to express himself and find his place in the world.

Self-expressionComing of ageNature
Translations
  • The Trumpet of the Swan

Here Is New York

1949 Essay

A personal essay and short book expressing love for New York City and concerns about forces that threaten it.

UrbanismLonelinessCivic life
Translations
  • Here Is New York

The Elements of Style (revised edition)

1959 Style guide / Usage manual

A revised and expanded edition of William Strunk Jr.'s handbook, providing grammatical and stylistic guidance for writers of English.

StyleEnglish usageConciseness
Translations
  • The Elements of Style (Strunk & White)

Bibliography

  • Less than Nothing, or, The Life and Times of Sterling Finny (1927)
  • The Lady Is Cold: poems by E.B.W. (1929)
  • Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do (1929; with James Thurber)
  • Ho Hum: Newsbreaks from The New Yorker (1931)
  • Alice Through the Cellophane (1933)
  • Every Day Is Saturday (1934)
  • Farewell to Model T (1936)
  • The Fox of Peapack, and other poems (1938)
  • A Subtreasury of American Humor (co-edited, 1941)
  • One Man's Meat (1942)
  • The Wild Flag (1943)
  • Stuart Little (1945)
  • Here Is New York (1949)
  • Charlotte's Web (1952)
  • The Second Tree from the Corner (1954)
  • The Elements of Style (revised by White, 1959)
  • The Points of My Compass (1962)
  • The Trumpet of the Swan (1970)
  • Letters of E. B. White (1976)
  • Essays of E. B. White (1977)
  • Poems and Sketches of E. B. White (1981)

Adaptations

  • Short animated film 'The Family That Dwelt Apart' (1973), narrated by E. B. White
  • Charlotte's Web (1973 animated film / 2006 live-action film)

Translations of Works

  • Charlotte's Web — Japanese translation
  • Stuart Little — Japanese translation

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear, concise proseWitty, observant essaysWarm narrative voice in children's books
Recurring Motifs
Nature and seasonsFarms and animalsCareful attention to language and styleLoneliness and community

Health

  • Alzheimer's disease
    晩年
    Limited his later output and contributed to his health decline in his final years.

Legacy

E. B. White is highly regarded for his children's books and essays; Charlotte's Web remains a classic across generations. His revision of The Elements of Style has had lasting influence on writing instruction. Cornell University houses his manuscripts and correspondence.

Museums

  • E. B. White Collection, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library Cornell University Library, Ithaca, New York, U.S.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters (honorary memberships)

Archives

  • Cornell University Archives (E. B. White Collection)

In Popular Culture

  • E. B. White Read Aloud Award
  • Charlotte's Web is widely known through school reading lists and film adaptations

Quotes

  • All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.
    Source: Foreword to Charlotte's Web (quoted by Kate DiCamillo) (1952)

Trivia

  • Nicknamed 'Andy' while at Cornell.
  • Revised and popularized The Elements of Style in 1959.
  • Photographs of him with his dachshund Minnie are well known.
  • Narrated the 1973 animated short 'The Family That Dwelt Apart'.