One Man's Feat: How to Build a Complete E.B. White Collection

November 15, 2020 6:34 AM

Reading E.B. White's children's book to my kids inspired me to seek out his other work, and I've loved everything I've read so far: One Man's Meat, Here is New York, and Points of My Compass. I want to continue adding his books to my bookshelves, but there are so many collections...

My main concern is that some may contain substantial material repackaged from other titles. Thrift seems very E.B. White. Any advice on how to build a fairly complete E.B. White collection without buying the same essays multiple times? Bonus points for ranking them in order of your favorites.

posted by Text TK to Writing & Language (4 answers total)

Have you considered, for your collection, letters to E.B. White from his editor Ursula Nordstrom? This might be tangential but that book is amazing.
posted by johngoren at 7:58 AM on November 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

Mainer, former bookseller. I am very fond of the older Harper and Row editions of Essays and Letters. They were available as a boxed set in softcover, possibly hardcover, sometimes with Second Tree from the corner, and Poems and Sketches. I don't think there's any duplication in this group. The letters have been revised since then. His essays are just the best; I should re-read them, so thanks for the suggestion.
posted by theora55 at 8:19 AM on November 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

To add a bit of color, you might consider including the illustrated Elements of Style that Maira Kalman published some years ago.
posted by ponibrown at 8:41 AM on November 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Never forget Is Sex Necessary.
posted by LizardBreath at 9:14 AM on November 15, 2020 [1 favorite]