Writings in the Smart Set, Volume 5

In this fifth volume of his writings from the Smart Set, H. L. Mencken uses his monthly review column to address broader issues in literature and society, such as "The National Letters," on American literary history; "Rattling the Subconscious," on the work of Sigmund Freud and other psychologists; and "The Infernal Mystery," on religion. We also find pungent review-articles focusing on Mark Twain, Arnold Bennett, H. G. Wells, and others, and Mencken's polemical skills reach their apogee in "Prof. Veblen and the Cow," a scathing attack on political theorist Thorstein Veblen. Articles on poetry discuss Ezra Pound, Sara Teasdale, and other poets. This volume also shows Mencken and his co-editor, George Jean Nathan, initiating a monthly column of humor and miscellany, "Répétition Générale." In addition, there is a bountiful array of short fiction, ranging from satirical tales of married life ("The Homeric Sex," "Wives") to poignant accounts of religious belief ("The Man of God"). In all, this volume fully displays the wide scope of Mencken's literary gifts.