Idolized by some for his wit, though demonized by others for his provocative rhetoric, H.L. Mencken remains a controversial figure for conservatives today.
Visiting Assistant Professor of History Darryl Hart will present his book published earlier this month, “Damning Words: The Life and Religious Times of H.L. Mencken,” at 7 p.m. Thursday in Dow A and B.
Hart’s talk, “When Conservatives Were Funny: Why the Right Needs H.L. Mencken,” is meant to ease people into an understanding of the often crass and colorful journalist .
“There is a bit of a bias among religious people and conservatives against Mencken, because he is irreverent, iconoclastic, and, at times, blasphemous,” Hart said.
Mencken was known for his witty social commentary and shocking tone, which he used to address the social scene of the early 20th century. His contemporary Walter Lippmann described Mencken as “the most powerful personal influence on this whole generation of educated people.” In 2012, the New York University Arthur J. Carter Journalism Institute listed Mencken as one of the 100 most influential American journalists.
Hart said many readers today understand that Mencken’s writings are comical, but they may take his humor too personally. Hart said he intends to give a better understanding of Mencken’s writings, so that they and their writer may be seen for their value.
“He wrote about more than people know about,” Hart said. “He was often fairly thoughtful and charming, and he also had some conservative sensibility.”
In his book, Hart explores these sides of Mencken, while focusing mainly on his treatment of religion. From this, modern-day Christians can better understand how non-believers often view Christianity, and how to better live with those that hold differing beliefs, Hart said.
“If Christians of all stripes live with other people that don’t agree with them, and even think some of their ideas are ridiculous — like a Mencken — that could be a way of keeping all of us humble,” he said.
Hart said he first read Mencken — known as the Sage of Baltimore — while a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Hart lived in the city for six years, and said he and his wife still travel back at least once a year. This connection has strongly influenced Hart’s interest in Mencken, he said.
“Mencken also represents, in some ways, a stage in my life, and a city that we thoroughly enjoyed,” he said. “I am actually just very intrigued that a city like Baltimore could produce the kinds of people that it has, even though not many Americans pay that much attention to Baltimore.”
Hart, who has written more than a dozen books, often addresses the role and evolution of Christian culture throughout America’s history. This work continues to explore that vein.
Professor of History Richard Gamble said present-day conservatives often overlook Mencken because he wasn’t a Christian. He said he believes this is often a mistake.
“Mencken really should be of interest to Hillsdale College, because he’s an anti-progressive, but not what we often encounter,” Gamble said. “He was witty, provocative, and had an eye for irony, which can help us view somebody like Woodrow Wilson in a fresh light.”
While Hart has included large, humorous excerpts from Mencken within the text, he said his book should be seen as an academic approach to understanding the popular satirist.
Whether one tends to idolize or demonize Mencken for other reasons, Hart said he hopes his lecture provides enough incentive to encourage further study and understanding of his self-admitted “man-crush,” and the time in which he lived.
“I really think his time actually reveals important aspects of the period he lived in, in both terms of Christianity and American culture,” Hart said.
“Damning Words: The Life and Religious Times of H.L. Mencken” can be purchased on Amazon, or after the lecture on Thursday, where Hart will be available to sign copies.
