Summary
Henry Louis Mencken, better known as H. L. Mencken, was a journalist, satirist, social critic, cynic and freethinker. The "Sage of Baltimore," as he was called, is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century. Mencken was born in 1880 in Baltimore, the son of August Mencken, a cigar factory owner. The family moved to 1524 Hollins Street in the Union Square neighborhood when Mencken was three years old, and he lived in the house for the rest of his life, apart from five years of married life. He became a reporter for the Baltimore Morning Herald in 1899 and joined The Baltimore Sun in 1906. In 1908, he became a literary critic for the magazine The Smart Set. Together...
Henry Louis Mencken, better known as H. L. Mencken, was a journalist, satirist, social critic, cynic and freethinker. The "Sage of Baltimore," as he was called, is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century. Mencken was born in 1880 in Baltimore, the son of August Mencken, a cigar factory owner. The family moved to 1524 Hollins Street in the Union Square neighborhood when Mencken was three years old, and he lived in the house for the rest of his life, apart from five years of married life. He became a reporter for the Baltimore Morning Herald in 1899 and joined The Baltimore Sun in 1906. In 1908, he became a literary critic for the magazine The Smart Set. Together with George Jean Nathan, Mencken founded and edited The American Mercury, published in January 1924. It soon had a national circulation and became highly influential on college campuses across America. Mencken is perhaps best remembered for "The American Language," a multi-volume study of how the English language is spoken in the United States, and for his satirical reporting on the prosecution, judge, jury and venue of the Scopes trial, which he is credited for naming the "Monkey" trial. In 1983, the City of Baltimore acquired Mencken's home on Hollins Street and the "H. L. Mencken House" became part of the City Life Museums. Shortly after World War II, Mencken expressed his intention of bequeathing his books and papers to the the Enoch Pratt Free Library on Cathedral Street in Baltimore. At the time of his death at age 75, most of the present collection had been received and a special room on the third floor was prepared to house the items. The Mencken Room was dedicated on April 17, 1956.
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57 items on H.L. Mencken
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Small wonders
Special to The SunJuly is tough on the garden. The early perennials have given out, leaving gaps in the beds. One quick fix is a container garden. It can beautifully plug a hole and lift your flagging spirits in one shot. Start with the container -- a classic big ceramic...Tags: Glen Burnie, Chestertown
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Sun role plays out in 2 stories
When I joined The Sun 21 years ago, there was still at least one person in the newsroom who had worked here when H.L. Mencken did. He used to use his pencils down to the stub, she told me. "Wow," I remember thinking, not so much about his thriftiness...Tags: Unemployment, Newspaper and Magazine, Sheila Dixon, Layoffs and Downsizing, Newspapers
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Pack it up! It's time for a Fourth of July picnic
Los Angeles Times Staff WritersSOUTHERN fried chicken, coleslaw, biscuits and ham, brownies -- it's the iconic July 4th picnic, so popular (once upon a time) that it became a cliché of the culture, pictured in classic cartoons, nostalgic children's books -- and, of course, in ads for...Tags: California
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Corn as fuel has hurt world food supply
Andy Kimbrell is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Center for Food Safety.Rising food prices are a hardship here at home, but they're truly disastrous for many beyond our borders. The staggering 83 percent rise in food prices reported by the World Bank over the past three years hits developing nations hardest. It's a complex...Tags: Forests, Agricultural Research and Technology, Natural Resources, Medical Specialization, Renewable Energy
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Ethan Canin's "America, America"
It seems but a minor stretch—if that—to speculate that the seemingly redundant title of Ethan Canin's new novel, "America America," is to suggest that there are indeed second acts in American life. The book abounds with them, in the first...Tags: Elections, Jimmy Carter, Crimes, Edward M. Kennedy, Political Candidates
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Corn as fuel may impair food supply
Andy Kimbrell is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Center for Food Safety.Rising food prices are a hardship here at home, but they're truly disastrous for many beyond our borders. The staggering 83 percent rise in food prices reported by the World Bank over the past three years hits developing nations hardest. It's a complex...Tags: Forests, Agricultural Research and Technology, Medical Specialization, Natural Resources, Food Industry
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'America America' by Ethan Canin
America America
A Novel
Ethan Canin
Random House: 466 pp., $27
It's refreshing -- and almost quaint -- to see someone try to write a Great American Novel in the 21st century. These days, writers are more apt to pursue the Great American Screenplay...Tags: Elections, Health and Safety at School, Schools, Road Accidents, Vehicles
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Study of 'Daily Show': It's a lot like O'Reilly
AP Television WriterA journalism think tank studying "The Daily Show" doesn't believe many people get their news from Jon Stewart -- because otherwise they wouldn't get the jokes. The Project for Excellence in Journalism also said it was surprised at how much the Comedy...Tags: Elections, Virginia Tech, Jon Stewart, Dan Quayle, Political Candidates
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Clinton's pandering reaches new lows
Sen. Hillary Clinton's recent pandering to gun owners and the shot-and-a-beer crowd and her about-faces regarding NAFTA and the war in Iraq ("Campaigns in Pa. shed party blood," April 20) remind me of H.L. Mencken's deathless observation: "If a politician...Tags: Hillary Clinton, Treaties, Economy, Economic Policy
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Clinton's pandering reaches new lows
Sen. Hillary Clinton's recent pandering to gun owners and the shot-and-a-beer crowd and her about-faces regarding NAFTA and the war in Iraq ("Campaigns in Pa. shed party blood," April 20) remind me of H.L. Mencken's deathless observation: "If a politician...Tags: Hillary Clinton, Treaties, Economy, Economic Policy
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Baltimore Sun
Jul 1, 2008
|Column| Baltimore Sun
Jul 2, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Jun 20, 2008
|Story| Newsday
Jun 28, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Jun 20, 2008
|Story| Newsday
Jun 22, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
May 8, 2008
|Story| Newsday
Apr 22, 2008
|Story| Baltimore Sun
Apr 22, 2008
|Story| Baltimore Sun
Original site for H.L. Mencken topic gallery.
