Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "One Man's Meat"

"One Man's Meat" by E.B. White is a piece of literary history. It reflects on a time when words mattered and writing was an art to be treasured. Is it anymore?

White was an essayist, poet, writer and an editor at the finest magazines this country has ever had: the New Yorker, Harpers's Magazine and The Atlantic Monthly.

I often pick his works up as a reminder of the power of language when used with care. I also pick it up after reading to the kids his classic, "Charlottes' Web."

Usually referred to as a children's book, it is that and so much more. Never read it? Do.

This book is a collection of White's early essays on life. He has a connection to my home state of Maine that rings true to my ear. The farm, the woods, the animals and the air all come alive.

More importantly, this collection reminds us as we read it how we have changed as a country and a world. The writings are from another era, but it's the writing that matters and the feelings it conveys.

Also, his writing is so economical and transfixing, yet so neighborly, one relishes the rhythm found therein.

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway

"On a recent Friday morning, I showed up to Moravian Book Shop a little before the store was to open. Moravian is the oldest bookstore in the United States, founded in 1745, and has expanded many times over the years, taking over neighboring buildings. It now occupies 15,000 square feet on Main Street in downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I wasn't sure where to go in. Such a large footprint means the store has a few front doors."

So begins Gregory Lee Sullivan in the Guardian on his visit to history. I love bookstores and this is a nice visit. Visiting the oldest bookstore in America - and its resident ghost ...

Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2016 season is his 10th with the club and 31st covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Orioles and Sarasota County have partnered on the Big League Reader Program, which rewarded kids who read three books in February with tickets to a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in March.

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