HenÂry Louis MenckÂen (1880–1956) was a famous AmerÂiÂcan jourÂnalÂist, essayÂist, critÂic of AmerÂiÂcan life and culÂture, and a scholÂar of AmerÂiÂcan EngÂlish. An expert in so many fields, he was called “the BalÂtiÂmore Sage.” At the age of 22, MenckÂen became manÂagÂing ediÂtor of the MornÂing HerÂald in his homeÂtown of BalÂtiÂmore. But it was not only through his work as a jourÂnalÂist that he was “as famous in AmerÂiÂca as George Bernard Shaw was in EngÂland.” The influÂenÂtial litÂerÂary critÂic helped launch the SouthÂern and Harlem litÂerÂary renaisÂsances. With his litÂerÂary jourÂnal The Smart Set, MenckÂen paved the way for writÂers such as F. Scott FitzgerÂald, Eugene O’Neill, SinÂclair Lewis, Theodore DreisÂer, and James Joyce. He also wrote sevÂerÂal books, most notably his monÂuÂmenÂtal study The AmerÂiÂcan LanÂguage.
“The two main ideas that run through all of my writÂing, whether it be litÂerÂary critÂiÂcism or politÂiÂcal polemic are these: I am strong in favor of libÂerÂty and I hate fraud.” (source) His spirÂitÂed defense of the freeÂdom of speech and of the press almost landÂed him in jail when he fought against the banÂning of his secÂond litÂerÂary jourÂnal, The AmerÂiÂcan MerÂcury.
This interÂview above was conÂductÂed by MenckÂen’s colÂleague DonÂald Howe Kirkley of The BalÂtiÂmore Sun in a small recordÂing room at the Library of ConÂgress in WashÂingÂton on June 30, 1948. It gives you a rare chance to hear his voice.
Bonus mateÂrÂiÂal:
By proÂfesÂsion, Matthias RaschÂer teachÂes EngÂlish and HisÂtoÂry at a High School in northÂern Bavaria, GerÂmany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on TwitÂter.
