Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956), known as ‘the Sage of Baltimore, ‘ was an immensely influential and controversial American editor, journalist, and critic.  As the editor of the American Mercury magazine, he was a literary tastemaker.  As a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, he famously heaped scorn on the ‘Booboisie’ and covered the Scopes trial. He also wrote The American Languages, Notes on Democracy, A Treatise on the Gods, and A Book of Burlesques.