Professor H L Mencken

Writings in the Baltimore Evening Sun, April-July 1911 Professor H L Mencken

In this volume of his writings from the Baltimore Evening Sun, H. L. Mencken continues to display his fascination with the drama, writing articles on Shakespeare, the history of drama in India, Rachel Crothers, Mary Austin, and other playwrights. He also writes articles on minstrelsy and vaudeville, demonstrating his interest in dramatic entertainment for the masses. A pungent review-article on contemporary poetry shows Mencken poking fun at poetasters of all sorts. The bulk of this volume consists of unsigned editorials, as Mencken's signed articles were abruptly curtailed once he began writing the "Free Lance" column in May. These unsigned editorials run the gamut in subject-matter, from sendups of local politicians to discussions of the pleasures of eating to political and military events around the world. Once again, Mencken displays the breadth of his interests and his unfailing wit and pungency.