Here Is New York

In his essay “Here Is New York” (1948), American author E. B. White shares his observations about the inhabitants, culture, and history of New York City. White, born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1899, is best known as an author of children’s books, most notably Charlotte’s Web (1952), Stuart Little (1945), and The Trumpet and the Swan (1970). He was also a journalist and a longtime contributor to The New Yorker and Harper’s. In “Here Is New York,” which was expanded from an article White wrote for the travel magazine Holiday, White expounds on themes including The Passage of Time, The City as a Living Ecosystem, Vulnerability, and The Individual and the Community.

This study guide refers to the version of “Here Is New York” published by The Little Bookroom with a 1999 introduction by Roger Angell, White’s stepson.

Content Warning: This text references acts of terrorism, war, and racism.

White begins “Here Is New York” with a foreword, noting that the text is a product of a particular moment—a heat wave in the summer of 1948—and that it contains observations and facts that may no longer hold true.