A Book is a Sneeze: Why E.B. White Wrote Charlotte's Web

A few weeks before the publication of Charlotte's Web—the now-classic tale of a pig, Wilbur, who becomes friends with a heroic spider named Charlotte—his editor at Harper & Row, Ursula Nordstrom, asked its author, E. B. White, to explain why he wrote the book. White responded with a typewritten letter and explanation, both of which appear at the website, Letters of Note, as supplied by HarperCollins.

If you haven't read White's essays, his two-page 'explanation' provides a short course in why he was such a master in the essay form.  To view and read a copy of his originals, click the link below.

Letters of Note: A book is a sneeze

And if you haven't read Charlotte's Web, immediately procure a copy and devour this short and tasty morsel of a book. It's a classic, especially with Garth Williams' charming illustrations.