The Impossible H. L. Mencken

A Selection of His Best Newspaper Stories

Plot

This carefully edited anthology captures Mencken at his best by concentrating on his newspaper work. Showcased is the curmudgeonly Mencken, in love with the American (as opposed to the English) language and with a pen as poisonous as an adder. With his cynicism and sharp tongue, Mencken has a remarkably modern sensibility and the power to deflate the pompous with one artfully turned phrase. A large section of the book is devoted to his stories about political conventions, which he covered with gusto from 1904 until 1948. Rodgers also presents lesser-known sides to the writer, such as his love of food and his literary criticism.