Mencken looks up from his typewriter during the 1948 democratic national convention, which he. First printed, in part, in the smart set, may, 1920, p. Mencken was born in baltimore, maryland in 1880 and died there in 1956. Henry louis mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956 was an american journalist. Mencken foresaw the decline of american democracy and the inevitable rise of the 45th president all the way back in 1920. I write my columns with the reader in mind, hoping either to make you smile, or to provoke a frenzy. It has been closed to general admission since 1997, but is opened for special events and group visits by arrangement. Mencken suffered a massive stroke in 1948 that left him unable to write, the thing he did. He began his long career as a journalist, critic, and philologist on the baltimore morning herald in 1899. The same year, fdrthe man mencken routinely dismissed as roosevelt. His followers just called you a swine and an imbecile. The bottom layer is given over to the literature of greenwich village, and by greenwich village, of course, i mean the whole of the advanced wing in letters, whatever the scene of its solemn declarations of independence and forlorn hopes. Theres a delightful exercise in the imagination of how h. Mencken attended a baltimore private school and the baltimore polytechnic.
A national gut reaction has defied logic and given us president trump. In 1930, mencken married sara haardt, a germanamerican professor of english at goucher college in baltimore and an author eighteen years his junior. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of. Haardt had led an unsuccessful effort in alabama to ratify the 19th amendment. Mencken gained currency on many political blogs at the end of 2004 as an expression of the way many of. The diary, typewritten on 2,100 pages between 1930 and 1948, was sealed on menckens instructions for 25 years after his death in 1956. Mencken on abraham lincoln five men at random, prejudices. The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men.
Apart from five years of married life, mencken was to live in that house for the rest of his life. The committees focus was the war, but flu coverage was affected too. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last and the white house will be adorned by a downright moron. Miss amy lowell is herself a fullyequipped and automobile greenwich village, domiciled in boston amid. In 1906 he joined the staff of the baltimore sun, thus beginning an association which lasted until a. The project gutenberg ebook of prejudices, second series. Im reading a book right now called the next 100 years.
Mencken gained currency on many political blogs at the end of 2004 as an expression of the way many of president george w. Mencken, in full henry louis mencken, born september 12, 1880, baltimore, maryland, u. The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace in a continual state of alarm by menacing them with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. When a ruling by the maryland attorney general opened the door to publication four years ago, it was said the diaries would reveal the worst of mencken and his dark side. N inetyseven years ago next wednesdayon july 26 1920 to be specificcultural critic and journalist, h. But where in all the world is there a man who worships jupiter today. The white house will be adorned by a downright moron. Seventy years ago, one of the most influential american journalists and critics was silenced forever.
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