E. B. White: A Shy Man Fond of Creatures

by Deborah Straw
Like many other famous writers, E.B. White (1899-1985) was a shy man. He avoided most parties and public appearances. He didn't want people to find him or his home in North Brooklin, Maine. In his latter days, he stopped giving interviews. In 1977, he convinced the reporter Herbert Mitgang to write, "To discourage visitors, we hereby report that he lives in 'a New England coastal town,' somewhere between Nova Scotia and Cuba." If White wanted people to find him, he would graciously invite them to do so. He wanted people to read his work and appreciate it for what it was: a hum...