At the same time, he became a serious scholar of the vagaries of american english. The american mercury american mercury with al hirschfelds caricature of ernest hemingway, november 1950 frequencymonthly founderh. The magazine featured writing by some of the most important writers in the united states through the 1920s and 1930s. The books fortynine selections give a wide sampling of menckens work, ranging from excerpts from the nostalgic days books to examples of menckens literary criticism, political essays, reporting, commentary and more. The american mercury, 1928 the dreadful title of this book is not the least posted in vintage mencken tagged civil war, confederacy, h. Mencken collection ms0001 4 box 1 two typed letters signed and addressed to gentlemen. Under the editorship of mencken, the periodical fast gained a. And a major theme of his writings was that every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. His arrest on obscenity charges posted on 20 april, 2010 by ann hendon this recent piece from the bibliophile web site describes the famous hatrack case in which the mercury was literally banned in boston, and its editor arrested on obscenity charges see menckens recollections below. My life as author and editor covered menckens smart set period during the flapper era, the beginnings of his work with george jean nathan and alfred knopf which later gave birth to the american mercury, and his early relationships with theodore dreiser, sherwood anderson, sinclair lewis, f. There was a time when jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus. Menckens political views were close to what might be called jeffersonian classical liberalism or, in todays language, libertarianism, although he had less confidence in the wisdom of the ordinary citizen than jefferson did.
With a story, poor little black fellow, by langston hughes and a piece about his boyhood by james m. Publication date 1919 topics american literature, american essays publisher. Mencken would skewer hillary clinton and donald trump. But where in all the world is there a man who worships jupiter today. There is a superabundance of material for a documented account of h. American mercury, monthly literary magazine known for its often satiric commentary on american life, politics, and customs. But after enduring the heavy weather of these two library of american volumesa gathering. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. He is, as usual, on the wrong track, and pursuing a chimera. Most of these quotes are selected from minority report, h. I realized then i had to read him, and a few days later i found the vintage mencken in a campus bookstore. The smart set was an american literary magazine, founded by colonel william dalton mann and published from march 1900 to june 1930. Mencken s editorship of the american mercury, and this fortunate state of affairs is partly the result of efforts by h. In a letter to upton sinclair published in the american mercury in june 1936, mencken described hitler in the following terms.
Mencken attended a baltimore private school and the baltimore polytechnic. Mencken henry louis mencken 18801956 is an historical american writer the world my view of the above great city, i find, shifts and varies from time to time. Mencken 18801956 american newspaperman, editor, writer. Jul 21, 2017 hl menchen the plain folks will reach their hearts content at last, and the white house will be adorned by a downright moron. In the united states, doing good has come to be, like patriotism, a favorite device of persons with something to sell. Mencken was perennially looking over his shoulder in preparing issues of the smart set, which under his tenure had gained the reputation of a ribald and even, on occasion, a somewhat risque magazine. Under the editorship of mencken, the periodical fast gained a reputation for the vitriolic articles he directed. Though best known for his caustic newspaper columns, h. H l mencken american mercury adventure, first edition abebooks.
Behind only the king james bible, shakespeare, and twain, comes mencken as a quotable source on subjects including but far from limited to diet and exercise. Mencken and the american mercury adventure singleton, marvin kenneth on. The renowned baltimore journalist who said that national political conventions and politicians were for connoisseurs of the obscene would have never. Having emigrated from germany during the midnineteenth century, the menckens and abhaus had quickly adapted to life in the united states, and they provided a home more. Edited by marion elizabeth rodgers it took me nearly a dozen years of rummaging through used bookstores in numerous states to find all six of the original prejudices volumes. They come mostly from booksthe 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 wrongbut there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never got between covers from the american. What he sets forth so wrathfully was already known to me before i read his book, and i had got used to it. Aug 01, 20 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. These have numbers in square brackets corresponding to the numbers in the book. Mencken turned up to write his column with blaring trumpet, ready to outrage. Mencken 1926 americanism, a term first used by john witherspoon, president of princeton university, in 1781, designates a any word or combination of words which read now american mercury features. He championed the plays of henrik ibsen, george bernard shaw, and eugene oneill, among others. 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.
Menckens editorship of the american mercury, and this fortunate state of affairs is partly the result of efforts by h. The american habit of reducing complex concepts to the starkest abbreviations is not merely a pursuit of charlatansits an ars poetica for mencken himself. Lots of people need lots of things to do what they do. Mencken the trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of ones time defending scoundrels. A contribution toward the interpretation of the national mind new york.
George jean nathan, american author, editor, and drama critic, who is credited with raising the standards of play producers and playgoers alike. Having emigrated from germany during the midnineteenth. You protest, and with justice, each time hitler jails an opponent. The watch and ward society was particularly offended by a short story depicting a prostitute who serviced her catholic clients. The magazine featured writing by some of the most important writers in the united.
Menckens book the american language revealed him to be an authority on the american language, and his essays and articles made him a popular advocate for free press and the first amendment. It is a book of creative criticism in a sense unusual in american letters. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mencken, h. 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. This effort mencken makes in a book of prefaces, deal ing with conrad, dreiser, and huneker, with an added chapter on puritanism as a literary force. Mencken has 241 books on goodreads with 119065 ratings.
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. At the height of his career, he edited and wrote for the american mercury magazine and the baltimore sun newspaper, wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column for the chicago tribune, and published two or three books every year. It includes the essays one would count as the best of mencken. 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. A person who purchased a banned book risked prosecution for violating the states obscenity laws. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text and page images. Now the library of america edition brings these works back to life. Who austrian neurologist who originated psychoanalysis what said that human behavior is irrational. H l mencken american mercury adventure, first edition.
No one ever argued more forcefully or with such acerbic wit against the foolish aspects of religion as h. The april 1926 issue of the american mercury was irresistible to the watch and ward society. In the early part of the 20th century, america needed mencken. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. Hl menchen the plain folks will reach their hearts content at last, and the white house will be adorned by a downright moron. John reed idealist converted to socialism, saw great hope in russian rev, but disillusioned by new regimes authoritarianism. During its jazz age heyday under the editorship of h.
Mencken and the american mercury adventure by singleton, m. The first i ever heard of hl mencken was when i read his obit with a pic of his moon face with a stubby cigar in the middle of his mouth and the worst haircut i ever saw parted in the middle. American libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. Mencken was perhaps americas most outspoken defender of liberty in the first half of the 20th century. Mencken was unquestionably the most provocative and influential journalist and cultural critic in twentiethcentury america. Now our students can consult the articles without wearing kid gloves.
He skips very lightly indeed over the surface of menckens literary criticism where, according to kempton, we find the best mencken, the first american critic to win the respect of joseph conrad. Menckens most enduring contribution to american literature may be his autobiographical writings, most of which first appeared in the new yorker. The cover of the book on which our new audio book is based the american mercury is proud to present the. Mencken, reconstruction, the american mercury, ulysses s. Mencken s book the american language revealed him to be an authority on the american language, and his essays and articles made him a popular advocate for free press and the first amendment. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians and contemporary movements. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text. 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 and george jean nathan year founded1924 final issue1981 countryunited states based innew york city issn0002998x the american mercury was an american magazine published from 1924 to 1981. It contained an ad for a book deemed obscene and an essay proposing a new view of sex as purely a pastime for leisure hours.
They come mostly from booksthe 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 wrongbut there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never. The older i grow, the more i distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. Mencken 1922 all the while i have been forgetting the third of my reasons for remaining so faithful a citizen of the federation, despite all the lascivious inducements from expatriates to follow them beyond the seas, and all the surly suggestions from patriots that i succumb. He had a core meanness that showed itself in his writing and in his personal life. Without that meanness, though, his writing might never have gotten so startlingly good. In september 1927, mencken wrote in american mercury, i believe in liberty. Study 51 terms apush chapter 31 flashcards quizlet. The six volumes of prejudices, published between 1919 and 1927, were both a slashing attack on what mencken saw as american provincialism and hypocrisy and a resounding defense of the. Mencken, in full henry louis mencken, born september 12, 1880, baltimore, maryland, u. As a journalist, he gained national prominence through his newspaper columns describing the nowfamous 1925 scopes trial, which pitted fundamentalists against a public school teacher who dared to teach evolution. Mencken 18801956 is a revered figure in the history of american letters, and understandably so. Joshi free inquiry februarymarch 2004 volume 24, number 2 the passion according to henry the pith and purity of his prejudices, the grit and grace of his language, the dazzle and buck of. The american mercury was an influential journal of opinion and literature that debuted in january 1924 and gained a wide audience under the editorial control of its.
Wherever the hookworm bays to its mate and a horsehair put into a bottle of water is known to turn into a snake, it is preached every night. Mencken and george jean nathan, the smart set offered many upandcoming authors their start and gave them access to a relatively large audience. In april, 1926 mencken was arrested for selling issues of his magazine the american mercury on the boston commons. This beautifully bound facsimile edition of volume 1 of the american mercury magazine is a marvelous replacement for the deteriorated copies we had in our collection which no one could handle due to the fragility of the pages. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article. Menckens most popular book is a mencken chrestomathy.
258 1555 869 1306 1227 200 869 398 1599 1050 1365 1642 1604 637 807 439 705 372 1259 26 991 626 1462 898 1374 1346 1316 1212 1487 133 427 35 588 838 1582 1384 725 717 942 854 169 384 193 1057 936 878 729