New Reads:

This week I'm reading the Essays of E.B. White. Have you read this? Probably not. I had never heard of it until recently, and I've been a fan of E.B. White pretty much since birth. I loved his fiction growing up (Charlotte's Web, most especially). I enjoyed his words, his characters, his worlds. But reading this, I am so aware of how much I love the man behind it all. I have fallen in love with E.B. White. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to his stories as a kid. Because reading this collection of essays, I am aware of just how much of himself he poured into each of his stories. His very essence is in every sentence. That's remarkable to me.

Reading his words and his thoughts, I have realized how much we are alike, how much I envy his easy way of life, and how well he puts into words the thoughts that I can never hope to voice as eloquently. I've learned a lot about him and his life. His words have changed how I view things, even if only a little, and I am thankful for that. I am a better person for having read this.

It is a special person who can make me laugh one minute and then turn around and make me seriously consider the nature of humanity the next. He is completely brilliant. And you want to know the best part? I don't even think he's trying to be. His writing is just so clever and so beautiful. He is a beautiful writer (He also wrote for the New Yorker and edited the Elements of Style). His stories feel so alive. And reading them, I feel like I am sitting in his kitchen with him, around that old wood-burning stove, listening to him tell stories from the good old days. 

I hope to be like him when I grow up. I think that is an admirable aspiration. If you read this, or knew anything about him, I think you'd understand.

So, I highly encourage you to read this. But take time. Go slow. Really savor it. Spending time with E.B. White is time well spent, I assure you.