Who was E.B. White?
E.B. White is probably best known as the author of 3 well-loved classics:
Stuart Little
Charlotte's Web
Trumpet of the Swan
White wrote for The New Yorker magazine and Harper's Magazine. He had a great sense of humor, which came out in many of his essays. White is also known for the books he wrote for adults, such as Here is New York.
E.B. White was married to Katharine Angell, an editor who also worked at The New Yorker.
Researching a Biography
Writing a biography requires a lot of research and accuracy. To begin my research, I read as much as I could of the things that E.B. White wrote and published. He often wrote about his own life, so this helped me learn about him. One book that was especially helpful is a collection of letters written by White, simply called Letters of E.B. White.
To further my research, I read books and articles that other people wrote about E.B. White. At the time I was conducting my research, there were few biographies about E. B. White. One that was written for adults by Scott Elledge was very helpful, especially since it was written while White was still alive and Elledge had opportunities to actually talk with and meet E.B. White.
Although E.B. White and Katharine, his wife, were no longer living when I started my research, I was able to contact their children and ask questions to assist my research.
One of the most exciting parts of my research was looking through the manuscripts, photographs and awards that White donated to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. I made a special trip from North Dakota to New York and, with the permission of White's son, Joel, received access to this special collection at the Cornell library.
It was a thrill to hold White's manuscripts for Charlotte's Web and his other stories, to see his pencil sketches, and examine the notes he made as he revised his own writing. As a writer, I learned a lot about writing from this process.
Quotes, Photos & Permissions
Since E.B. White was not living when I wrote this biography, I could not get direct quotes from him. I was fortunate, however, in that White wrote many things about himself which would make excellent quotes in the biography. Still, I needed to obtain permission to use those quotes.
In some cases, White's written stories were owned by a publishing company. For these, I needed to contact the publisher and obtain permission to quote White. In other cases, I was able to obtain permission from White's son.
The same was true of photographs. When I visited White's special collection at Cornell, I found many photographs that could be used to illustrate the biography. I wasn't personally responsible for locating and selecting photos, but I was able to give my editor a list of photos that might be available and she could follow-up with her own request for permissions. I am very pleased with the photos that were selected for the biography.
Using Index Cards to Organize
I used index cards to collect and organize information about E.B. White's life. Different colored cards helped me separate information into categories.
What goes on the index cards? Think of all the aspects of a person's life that might be included in a biography:
Dates: birth, graduation, marriage, significant events, death
Other people: parents, siblings, friends, employers, employees, spouse, children
Places: where born, locations lived at, places of employment, significant travels, place of death
Significant achievements: personal and career successes, awards, honors
Quotes: Write out quotes word for word with quote marks and sources.
Bits of information: One card might hold details of a trip the subject took, while another card describes the subject's feelings when he took a new job.
Questions: Make note of questions you have and where you might need to look for answers.
Sources: You'll appreciate that you did this when you're ready to type the bibliography to your book.