Why would a series of religious biographies issue a title on the famous iconoclast H.L Mencken? That's the challenge D.H. Hart had to answer in his new book, Damning Words: The Life and Religious Times of H.L. Mencken.

In a 10-minute conversation with The Bookmonger, Hart describes his subject's massive influence nearly a century ago as well as what Mencken really thought about God, the universe, and everything. He also tries to explain why Mencken, despite his apostasies, appeals more to conservatives than liberals today.