Summary

Chapter 13. Richard always arrives at work a little early in order to read the newspapers in the lobby of the building where he works. One morning he notices an article about H.L Mencken, the editor of American Mercury. The article vehemently denounces Mencken, calling him a fool. Richard is stunned and intrigued. Mencken is white; what could he have done to arouse the hatred of the South? Richard wants to learn more. He needs books to learn, but blacks are not allowed to use libraries. Richard convinces a man at work who is Irish Catholic and also hated by the white men to let him take his library card and pretend that he is getting books for him. He manages to get two books by Mencken, A Book of Prefaces and Prejudices. Richard is amazed at what he reads. The author denounces everything American...