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Elwyn Brooks White, better known as E.B. white, was one of the leading American essayists and literary stylists of the 20th century. His children’s books are among the most widely recognized in their genre, and are old friends to almost everyone today. Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan have become some of the most popular children’s literature creations of all time. But who is this man, where did he come from, and what inspired him to write? Was he just a children’s author or did his interests span a wider array of subjects? Why did White write? E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1899, the son of Samuel and Jackie White, a prosperous piano manufacturer. He attended grade school in Mount Vernon, and soon realized his true passion for writing. After graduating from Cornell University in 1921, White worked in some miscellaneous jobs, such as a reporter for the United Press, American Legion News Service, and the Seattle Times. In 1924, he returned to New York. He worked as a production assistant and advertising copywriter before joining the recently established New Yorker. There he met his wife, Katherine Sergeant Angell, who was the magazine’s literary editor. They marrie