H. L. (HENRY LOUIS) MENCKEN - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 10/24/1946 - HFSID 1850

H. L. MENCKEN
Requesting the Dexter book on Cornish names be sent to his address
Typed Letter signed: "HL Mencken", 1p, 8½x5¼. On personal letterhead. Baltimore, Maryland, 1946 October 24. To "Dear Mr. Lull". In full: "I'll be glad to have the Dexter book on Cornish names if it is still in stock. Please let it come to me, as above. Sincerely yours." American literary critic, humorous journalist and essayist Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956) gained national recognition as the reigning critic of manners and politics from the mid-1920s. He helped launch the careers of Theodore Dreiser and Sinclair Lewis and published manuscripts by Eugene O'Neill and Dorothy Parker. Mencken, who had co-founded and edited "American Mercury" from 1923-1933, he also contributed to such publications as the Baltimore Sun, The Smart Set, Chicago Tribune, New York American and Evening Mail. He was known for his critical ideas on Democracy, fundamental Christianity and The American South. Mencken openly attacked ignorance, intolerance and frauds. He recommended Ayn Rand's first novel We the Living for publication and she listed him as her favorite columnist. In 1919 he wrote The American Language a study of how the English language is spoken in the United States. In 1940, he began his autobiographical trilogy with Happy Days. T. F. G. DEXTER'sCornish Names, actually an overview of the Cornish language, was published in 1926. Cornish, arguably the language of King Arthur, experienced a modest revival in the 20th century and has secured the European Community's recognition as a protected regional language. Vertical fold crosses final "n" in signature. Fine condition.