Elwyn Brooks "E. B." White
An item at American Writers Museum
In 1925, the young Elwyn Brooks "E. B." White submitted writing samples to a new magazine called The New Yorker. Literary editor Katharine Angell liked his work and the magazine hired him as a staff writer. White remained a contributor to The New Yorker for the rest of his career, helping to establish its distinctive voice. (He also married Angell.)
In 1978, White won a special Pulitzer for "the full body of his work." His letters, essays, and books explored a universe of topics: world politics, human sexuality, city life, writing style, and the wonder of nature-the latter being a common theme across his three children's books, Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte's Web (1952), and Trumpet of the Swan (1970).
AMERICAN VOICES
An exhibit at American Writers Museum
American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.
This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.