The Editor, the Bluenose, and the Prostitute: H.L. Mencken's History of the Hatrack Censorship Case

Rating:
Summary: Highly Entertaining and Informative
Review: Anybody with an interest in free speech issues will find this account of the "Hatrack Case" fascinating and entertaining. The book recounts an attempt by the federal government to censor a 1926 issue of Mencken's magazine, The American Mercury, because of an ostensibly pornographic short story that appeared in it. Mencken, of course, is a great writer, and this only adds to the appeal of this book. Mencken regarded free speech as our most important liberty, and this book reveals that he was willing to risk a jail sentence to combat censorship.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Entertaining and Informative
Review: Anybody with an interest in free speech issues will find this account of the "Hatrack Case" fascinating and entertaining. The book recounts an attempt by the federal government to censor a 1926 issue of Mencken's magazine, The American Mercury, because of an ostensibly pornographic short story that appeared in it. Mencken, of course, is a great writer, and this only adds to the appeal of this book. Mencken regarded free speech as our most important liberty, and this book reveals that he was willing to risk a jail sentence to combat censorship.