The American Language

The American Language | Author Biography

H. L. Mencken was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 12,1880, the eldest of Anna Margaret and August Mencken's four children. August co-owned a cigar factory with his brother, and their success enabled him to buy a three-story brick home for his family. Mencken spent most of his life there, living elsewhere only during the five years he was married to Sara Powell Haardt (1930-1935). August paid special attention to his sons, fostering their talents and praising their accomplishments. When he was eight, Mencken developed a keen interest in reading and writing, which led to exceptional...

[The entire page is 457 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...

Lookup any word on eNotes with our dictionary. Highlight the word and press SHIFT + D for a definition, or SHIFT + T for a synonym.