Unfortunately, the diary [of H. L. Mencken] reveals a man who was shockingly anti-Semitic and racist, to the point where his stature as a giant of American letters may be in danger. . . . I would draw a comparison with Richard Wagner, a virulent anti-Semite. One can still listen to Wagner’s operas and appreciate their artistic beauty.
The work is separated from the man. Or is it?
—Gwinn Owens, “Mencken—Getting a Bum Rap?”
The New York Times , 13 December 1989