Here is New York

Like the Elements of Style, the timeless writing manifesto that White revised and rewrote for generation after generation of scribes, Here is New York has lasting appeal.White captures a very large city in a very small book. Yet the end this slender volume is as satisfying as a weighty tome because White seems to get the philosophy of New York right.And I must agree, the final pages seem to eerily fortell September 11, 2001.If you already love New York, or if you want to know why so many do, pick this baby up and guarantee yourself a good night's reading.

I've loved E.B.White's writing ever since a grade school teacher read Charlotte's Web aloud to the class, chapter by chapter. His writing is unique, clear and memorable, whether he is writing about what he sees out his window or about life in New York walking down a busy sidewalk, masses of people all around him. While life in New York has changed significantly since E.B. White first wrote the words contained in this book, readers will find his writing also timeless in spirit and inspirational in invoking a renewed appreciation for New York and the little details that make it special. White once said of his writing: 'Writing to me is not an exercise in addressing readers, it is more as though I were talking to myself while shaving'. If only we could all be as articulate, memorable and even humorous while talking to ourselves and others! A very special book, worth reading and re-reading.

No one could say, "I Love New York," better than E.B. White did in this slim volume of stylish, moving caresses for her lovely, loving face. To each of us, though, New York shows a different face. E.B. White has captured the universal elements of that face in his perceptive observations about what you have noticed and felt about New York, but never shared with anyone. I have many relatives and friends in New York City who are over 70 and have told me many wonderful stories about the late 40s there. Imagine my delight when I discovered that E.B. White had written this magnificent 7,500 word essay about his experiences in the city during the summer of 1948! I have the perfect gift now to help these warm-hearted people happily relive their more youthful days. And those who love New York, regardless of their age, will love this book, as well. So I will need to buy and give many copies of this book. The book begins with a new introduction by Roger Angell, who is E.B. White's stepson. Mr. Angell was an editor at Holiday who helped arrange for this assignment for Mr. White. Mr. White had gone to live permanently in Maine by this time, so coming to New York was a travel assignment. You may recall that Mr. White had done a stint at The New Yorker during World War II that had brought him to Manhattan, so it was also a homecoming. Mr. Angell points out that many of the scenes described in the essay are now gone, something that Mr. White also pointed out in his introduction to the essay in 1949. In addition, many of Mr. White's complaints would be even more vociferous if uttered today. But one aspect of the work is unchanging, "Like most of us, he wanted it [New York City of an earlier time] back again, back the way it was." So this essay is very much about time-specific memory, and how that evokes moods and thoughts we value most. Change that dilutes those values is to be resisted. As Mr. White said, "New York has changed in tempo and temper during the years I have known it. There is greater tension, increased irritability."The essay teems with stylish, dynamic prose that reminded me of the vibrancy of the exploding krill population during the summer months in whale feeding grounds. New York was experiencing a heat wave, and there was no air conditioning. Perhaps that's what accounts for the often heavy mood of pessimism, relieved by only a little peek at optimism here and there. "It is a miracle that New York works at all. The whole thing is implausible." "Mass hysteria is a terrible force, yet New Yorkers seem always to escape it by some tiny margin . . . .""But the city makes up for its hazards and deficiencies by supplying its citizens with massive doses of a supplementary vitamin -- the sense of belonging to something unique, cosmopolitan, mighty and unparalleled." The great strength of the essay is in its many wonderful, astute observations about New York. First, Mr. White points out that there are three types of New Yorkers:

This book, written almost fifty years ago, captures the qualities that make New York the greatest city in the world. It is a brief character sketch of the whole city. The fact that almost every word is still applicable today illustrates the eternal uniqueness and unchangability of the Big Apple. This book should be read by anyone who lives in, commutes to, or plans to visit New York