The diary covers the years 1930 1948, and provides a vivid, unvarnished, sometimes shocking picture of mencken himself, his world, and his friends and antagonists, from theodore dreiser, f. That americans are gods chosen people with a divine mission in the world. Developed the theme of the monotony, emotional frustration, and lack of values in american middleclass life in his book babbit. Teaching with scorceses gangs of new york history news. A religious orgy in tennessee includes all of menckens reports for the baltimore sun, the nation, and the american mercury. To be sure, mencken believed in a number of other things as well all quite fervently but there can be little doubt that his ideas on liberty are among his best and most interesting contributions to american literature. In 1906 he joined the staff of the baltimore sun, thus beginning an association that lasted until a few years before his death. Don ran the magazine in the independent tradition of h. Michael harringtons book exposing poverty which kennedy read in 1962 and prompted him to push poverty into the national agenda, the book said 1 in 5 americans living in poverty lacking. Mencken, the scopes monkey trial and the culture war. Mencken, the sage of baltimore, left school in 1899 to become a reporter for the citys morning herald and later served as drama critic, city editor, and then managing editor of the evening herald. Pe cleator and hl mencken as antiforteans from an oblique angle.
British literaturehe defines hell by logical rules in the place of the damned, and wonders what happens when the poets money is spent in the progress of poetry. Mar 31, 2015 as i commented at the time, mencken was publishing black writers in his american mercury at a time when the press club was as segregated as the alabama legislature. Mencken who created the stereotype of the repressive angloprotestant puritan. Oct 11, 2020 in addition, mencken remarked that he had learned a new style of thought by working on his nietzsche book. Henry louis mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956 was an american journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of american english. The name oxford american is a play on the american mercury, h.
Most of these quotes are selected from minority report, h. Hl mencken laughed at am middle class thru american mercury, editor. Mencken and the birth of black american literature the. Mencken leave a comment the hidden history of how israel was created posted on 30 march, 2020 30 march, 2020 by ann hendon. Or you could pick a dictionary that provides info on the first usage of words. He began his long career as a journalist, critic, and philologist on the baltimore morning herald in 1899. Oct 31, 20 this book tells the story of conservative, anarchist h. A brilliantly witty and ferociously savage critic of us middleclass culture, his influence was at its height while he was editor of the american mercury 192433. But less known is mencken s searching dissection of the myth of mr. Mencken s diary was, at his own request, kept sealed in the vaults of baltimores enoch pratt library for a quarter of a century after his death. You protest, and with justice, each time hitler jails an opponent. Oxford american wikipedia he worked closely with h. Menckens life in compelling, intimate detailand offers a uniquely personal look at the influential cultural critic and satirist who cofounded the magazines the american mercury and the smart set and became a legend for his sharp and highly quotable wit.
Written between 1930 and 1948, the diarys endoftheday ruminations on persons and events gave considerable aid and comfort to those who had long believed mencken a pathological personality. This audio book will be published in regular chapter installments on the american mercury and will be available from the mercury as a fulllength audio book when the series is completed. It is impossible to say who is behind most of the neonazi websites because they are registered anonymously. Asbury achieved first notoriety with a story that h. Apr 11, 2012 in 1932, a struggling writer named john fante wrote to hl mencken, editor of the american mercury for advice. The smart set was an american literary magazine, founded by colonel william dalton mann and published from march 1900 to june 1930. Menckens relentless prose in these essays helped push. It collects seventeen short pieces, fifteen from the baltimore evening sun, one that appeared in the nation, and one from the mencken founded american mercury.
In his autobiographical black boy, wright recalls his reaction to a book of. Mencken 1880 1956 was a journalist and writer who was born and lived in baltimore for most of his life. Shockingly, these reports have never been gathered together into a book of their ownuntil now. When few dared to shatter complacencies, mencken fought for civil liberties and free speech, playing a prominent role in the scopes monkey trial, battling. The american labor year book, 192324, by the rand school of. The baltimore evening sun, where mencken once worked. He was coeditor of the smart set with george jean nathan from 1908 to 1923, and with nathan he. The first explosion in this postmortem sequence came in 1989, when the diary of h. The native american voltaire, the enemy of all puritans, the heretic in the sunday school, the oneman demolition crew of the genteel tradition. American mercury, monthly literary magazine known for its often satiric. Chapter 23 notes 1920 1929 economic boom apush study. The most authoritative work on this subject is charles scruggs book, the sage in harlem a survey of menckens influence on and support of africanamerican intellectuals. After that i was a critic of ideas, he wrote, and i have remained one ever since.
More sexual freedom, contraceptives more available but still banned in some states. In 1926, he was arrested for selling an issue of the american mercury banned in boston. Mencken and randolph bourne both loved nietzsche and wanted to subvert victorian culture and push american culture in a more libertarian direction. He was coeditor of the smart set with george jean nathan from 1908 to 1923, and with nathan he founded the american mercury, a magazine of which he was. Of his books, mencken is best known for his monumental study, the american language, ranked as one of the top 100 influential books in the united states. Marion elizabeth rodgers has written the definitive biography of mencken, the finest book ever published about this giant of american letters. Jan 26, 2020 it was only after mencken and nathan left the smart set and cofounded the american mercury in 1924 that his interest, to the dismay of the literati he had boosted at the smart set, turned chiefly to politics and social issues. Mencken is one of the most feared and revered critics of the 20th century. Mencken s historic magazine, resurrected online by neonazis several years ago, has published several revisionist articles to coincide with this years anniversary. Joshi, who lives in upstate new york, is the author and editor of many books, including h. Either way, stevens became a writer and columnist who wrote about work, especially about the timber industry. Family size declined, ppl married more for love than security. Mencken became one of the most influential and prolific journalists in america in the 1920s and 30s, writing about all the shams and con artists in the world.
Mencken also coedited smart set magazine 191423 and edited the american mercury magazine 192533. Mencken 18801956 page at spirit of america bookstore. Read about how his writing helped influence much of the popular, social, and political culture. That the christian bible is the divinely inspired word of god. For the most part, too, they are as pertinent and penetrating as they were during mencken s heyday of the 1920s. Yet he remained friendly with and wrote about hemingway, fitzgerald, faulkner, willa cather, dos passos, edmund wilson. Editor of the magazine the american mercury he satirized the shortcomings of democracy and middleclass american culture.
Mencken stands out as one of our most influential stylists and fearless iconoclaststhe twentieth centurys greatest newspaper journalist, a famous wit, and a constant figure of controversy. Mencken s american mercury, and, therein, stevens spoke up for two other writers whose language was rich in the regions vernacular. The american language, first published in 1919, is h. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text and page images. First edition, first printing of this detailed history of one of the smartest american periodical of the 1920s and 1930s the american mercury and its legendary editor and contributor, h. Mencken marion elizabeth rodgers oxford university press. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. Henry louis mencken henry louis mencken 18801956 was an american journalist, editor, critic, and philologist. Probably americas most influential journalist, he began his career on the baltimore morning herald. Mencken was perturbedand amusedby american stupidity. These have numbers in square brackets corresponding to the numbers in the book.
The american mercury was an american magazine published from 1924 to 1981. In this, mencken assailed marriage, patriotism, democracy, etc. Neonazis use leo frank case for antisemitic propaganda push. Nathan published his theatre book of the year annually from 1943 through 1951.
Mencken to contribute regularly to american mercury, an opinionshaping journal aimed at white liberal. Mencken, bringing the literary magazine the smart set to prominence as an editor, and cofounding and editing the american mercury and the american spectator. Mencken mencken was a young author who published the monthly american mercury. Still, this is a valuable book, fascinating at times, and makes the important statement that mencken caused black writers to realize their potential because he understood blacks better than any. Mencken s works available as free etexts at project gutenberg. It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.
Mencken the bad boy of baltimore american mercury magazine against democracy, marriage, prohibition, middle class f. Mencken, jonathan yardley calls mencken the greatest of all american journalists. A contribution toward the interpretation of the national mind new york. Mencken was born in baltimore in 1880 and died there in 1956.
Architects, painters, and musicians confront modern america edit edit source american cities boasted a total of 377 buildings over 22 stories tall. Mencken s devoted services to civil liberty, his opposition to censorship as editor of the american mercury, are too wellknown to need repeating here. The first american to be widely read as a critic was h. Alistair cooke fiercely intelligent, scathingly honest, and hysterically funny, h. Knopf edition of mencken s the american language the book compares the english language of england to the american language of the united states, in terms of vocabulary, syntax, usage, idiom, spelling, proverbs, slang, grammar, pronunciation, history, and intonation. Russell maguire, the american mercury, and racially. Fecher of baltimore, who edited the book, writes in his introduction that mencken s hatred of franklin roosevelt was, indeed, maniacal there is no other word to use. Parkes, the putative fascism of the kyoto school and the political correctness of the modern academy, philosophy east and west 47, no. The project gutenberg ebook of the american language, by h.
The diary, typewritten on 2,100 pages from 1930 to 1948, was sealed on mencken s instructions for 25 years after his death in 1956. Mencken a journalist and editor and cirtic created a new magazine aimed at the young partion of america. This ad was published in the october, 1925 issue of the american mercury. American businessman, founder of ford motor company, father of modern assembly lines, and inventor credited with 161 patents. Nov 24, 2020 posted in vintage mencken tagged american language, english language, h. Mencken american mercury assailing marriage, patriotism, democracy, prohibition, rotarians, the middleclass, and puritanism the war had jolted many young writers out of their complacency about traditional values and literary standardsnew cods of morals and understanding, as well as fresh forms. Fante enclosed a story which mencken, a mentor of sorts, bought but lamented that he. Mencken and the american mercury, 19241926 child of baltimore young rebel apprentice years, 18991908 smart set critic, 19081914 wartime trials and hopes postwar triumph accessrestricteditem. So great was mencken s renown that college students flaunted the american mercury as a sign of intellectual independence, waving it before their teachers. One of the most original and controversial thinkers of the 20th century was white nationalist, novelist, and founder of a new european religion, cosmotheism, dr. It includes ten pages of trial photos and an excerpt of the most dramatic.
The magazine featured writing by some of the most important writers in the united states through the 1920s and 1930s. Mencken, in full henry louis mencken, born september 12, 1880, baltimore, maryland, u. Mencken, controversialist, humorous journalist, and pungent critic of american life who powerfully influenced u. The american mercury february 1937 mises institute. Neonazis use leo frank case for antisemitic propaganda. Davis and stewart holbrook got some boost from stevens. This preposterous quackery flourishes lushiy in the back reaches of the republic, and begins to conquer the less civilized folk of the big cities. Mencken on american literature ohio, 2002, mencken s america ohio, 2004, and closing arguments.
Mencken and his work in publishing mencken s diary. Nathan agreed it was time to push the boundaries of. His lifetime production of 28 books included a sixvolume collection of his essays, prejudices 191927, in defense of women 1917, treatise of the gods 1930 and an autobiographical trilogy, ending with heathen days, published as one. Mencken on liberty foundation for economic education. The american mercury by 1923, mencken decided he wanted a national forum for his political views. You never push a noun against a verb without trying to blow up something. Perhaps the first truly important book about the divergence of american english from its british roots, this survey of the language as it was spokenand as it was changingat the beginning of the 20th century comes via one of its most inveterate watchers, journalist, critic, and editor henry louis mencken 18801956. It even includes his coverage of bryans death just days after the trialan obituary so withering mencken was forced by his editors to rewrite it, angering him and leading him to rewrite it yet. Mencken and george jean nathan, the smart set offered many upandcoming authors their start and gave them access to a relatively large audience.
He resigned from the smart set, and with backing from knopf he and nathan launched the monthly american mercury. A photograph of leo frank, as published in the frank case the american mercury now presents the second part of three parts of our audio version. Mencken s coverage of the scopes monkey trial so galvanized the nation that it eventually inspired a broadway. At its most plausible and useful it simply represents an attempt to push common sense.
It seems to me, and indeed the evidence is plain, that compared to the moscow brigands and assassins, hitler. In a letter to upton sinclair published in the american mercury in june 1936, mencken described hitler in the following terms. A towering figure on the american cultural landscape, h. They come mostly from books the six installments of the prejudices series, a book of burlesques, in defense of women, notes on democracy, making a president, a book of calumny, treatise on right and wrong but there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never got between covers from the american. So famous and influential was he in the age before tv that a prominent contemporary, the. Mencken at the american mercury and harold ross at the new yorker. Henry louis mencken alighted from his train in the. H l mencken american mercury adventure, first edition abebooks. Mencken reveals virulent antisemitism, racism and pronazi leanings, shocking even the sympathetic mencken scholar who edited it.
Mencken of the prominent planks in the platform of american faith which mencken doubted are. Scott fitzgerald this side of paradise bible for the young, the great gatsby, new money getting crushed by old money theodore dressier pitfalls of social striving ernest hemmingway the sun also rises, described war. In addition to his essays and journalism, he wrote a multivolume study of the american language 191948. Mencken s book about the english language as spoken in the united states. L henry tetlow, bob brown, ruth kennell, milly bennett, john. American mercury, edgar lee masters, hl mencken, james m cain 192411 the american mercury magazine contents for november 1924. Posted in vintage mencken tagged american language, english language, h. Jabbed at marriage, patriotism, democracy, prohibition, rotarian, and middleclass americans. Inspire a love of reading with amazon book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with amazon book box, a subscription that delivers new books. The story detailed a prostitute from asburys hometown of farmington. Mencken s commentary on american life and politics in the early twentieth century is often bitter, sarcastic, cynical, and abrasive, but the intent is. Though he was not a distinguished stylist, the extraordinary vigor of his expression was memorable. Mencken, as the editor and main creative force behind the american mercury magazine, was responsible for publishing more black authors than any other publication of its stature certainly more than any other white dominated.
Mencken also dismissed the south and attacked the puritans. Mencken, nietzsche and the culture war occidental dissent. The book was preceded by several columns in the evening sun. Published by published by john lane the bodley head ltd. Mencken was a hugely important figure in the death of the victorian mainstream and the origins of the modern mainstream. Clarence darrow on law, society, and religion swallow press. Mencken was inspired by the argot of the colored waiters in washington, as well as one of his favorite authors, mark twain, and his experiences on the streets of baltimore. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mencken, h. Charles fecher, editor of the controversial book the diary of h. Due to his lasting influence, this new collection of mencken s scopes trial reporting is a welcome addition. Mencken published in his magazine, the american mercury in 1926. Mencken s general interest magazine which smirnoff long admired. The first issue, bearing a distinctive peagreen cover, appeared in january 1924. Justice holmes as, in his dissenting opinions, a great civil libertarian.
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