H.L. Mencken
Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. His satirical reporting on the Scopes Trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey Trial," also gained him attention.
You can find people similar to H.L. Mencken by visiting our lists Translators of Friedrich Nietzsche and Hoaxers.
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| Date of birth | 12 September 1880
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| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland
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| Date of death | 29 January 1956
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| Age | 75 (age at death)
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| Place of death | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Resting place | Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, USA
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| Occupation | Journalist, satirist, critic
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- Edited two magazines in New York with drama critic George Jean Nathan while commuting to and from Baltimore where he kept up his column at the Baltimore Sun. The first magazine was The Smart Set, the second The American Mercury, in which Mencken brought to attention dozens of writers destined for fame.
- Ernest Hemingway and Walter Lippmann agreed he was the most influential voice of his generation.
- He was both superstitious - regarding such familiar symbols as the number 13 - and a hypochondriac: he befriended many Baltimore physicians and was a frequent visitor to, though not as a frequent patient with serious maladies, the corridors of the city's Johns Hopkins Hospital.
- Was the lead reporter at the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial.
- The character of E.K. Hornbeck in "Inherit the Wind" was modeled after him. The role has been played by, among others, Gene Kelly, Darren McGavin, and Beau Bridges.
H.L. Mencken is known for his role in the TV series American Experience (1988) as Self.
He is also known for his role in the TV series documentary The Twentieth Century (1957) as Self.
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