4.0
One Man's Meat
ByPublisher Description
Called "a mid-20th–century Thoreau" by
, E. B. White's desire to live a simple life caused him to sell half his worldly goods, give up his job writing the
's "Notes and Comment" editorial page, and move with his family to a saltwater farm in North Brooklin, Maine. There, White got into the nuts-and-bolts of rural life—not without a lot of self-reflection—and surrounded himself with barnyard characters, some of whom would later appear in
.
is White's collection of pithy and unpretentious essays on such topics as living with hay fever ("I understand so well the incomparable itch of eye and nose for which the only relief is to write to the President of the United States"), World War II ("I stayed on the barn, steadily laying shingles, all during the days when Mr. Chamberlain, M. Daladier, the Duce, and the Führer were arranging their horse trade"), and even dog training ("Being the owner of dachshunds, to me a book on dog discipline becomes a volume of inspired humor").
Though first published in 1942, this book delivers timeless lessons on the value of living close to nature in our quest for self-discovery. With each subject broached and reflected upon, it "becomes an ardent and sobering guidebook for those of us trying to live our day-to-day lives now" (
magazine).
"The most succinct, graceful and witty of essayists." —
"A lively record of an active inquiring mind." —
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About E. B. White
was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921. He joined the staff at
, where White’s poems, essays, satirical pieces, and editorials started to appear, as well as in
. His books include
,
,
,
, and
.
The author of more than twenty books of prose and poetry, White is perhaps best known for his award-winning children’s books,
and
White received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1970, and his
was honored by the International Board on Books for Young People as a distinguished example of literature with international influence.
For his lifelong contribution to American letters, President John F. Kennedy awarded White the Presidential Medal for Freedom. He also received the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Gold Medal for Essays and Criticism. In 1973, White was elected to be a member of the Academy. He also received honorary degrees from seven colleges and universities. White died on October 1, 1985.
Other books by E. B. White
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