“An avian, brass-themed musician;
A writer of web compositions.
Indelible stories
Form mind’s lab’ratories,
Imaginative in ambition.”
The 9 April 2025 limerick fell during National Library Week and commemorated two books by author E. B. White: Charlotte’s Web and Trumpet of the Swan.
“An avian, brass-themed musician; /
A writer of web compositions…”
The first line here alludes to Louis the swan, the protagonist of Trumpet of the Swan; the second alludes to Charlotte the spider, whose creative writing saves the life of Wilbur the pig in Charlotte’s Web.
I read both these books often in elementary school, along with Stuart Little, a third book by the same author, E.B. White. I have a memory of all three arriving as a boxed set, perhaps via a Scholastic book order, many years ago.
“Indelible stories /
Form mind’s lab’ratories, /
Imaginative in ambition.”
The book titles for Louis and Charlotte’s stories center each character’s artistic medium. Louis uses a brass trumpet to communicate throughout his life, and his path as a musician takes him to several memorable locations across America. Charlotte uses her web to weave words celebrating her friend Wilbur, ultimately bringing him enough attention that he will live a long life on his owner’s farm. In contrast to Louis, Charlotte travels only once after her introduction, as she accompanies Wilbur to the county fair… and I will curtail the summary right there!
The plot points and dialogue of these books are remarkably familiar (indeed, “indelible”) at this point. Along with Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, they are probably the books I’ve read most often through my lifetime, and I’m sure that my own thought processes (“mind’s lab’ratories”) have immensely benefited from their compelling narratives.
The obvious necessity of creative work throughout these narratives is something I’ve found moving throughout my own life, as I aim to balance my job in STEM with interests in writing and other artistic fields (“imaginative in ambition”).
Chemphasis 