From 1924 through 1933, Mencken provided what he promised: elegantly irreverent observations of America, aimed at what he called "Americans realistically", those of sophisticated skepticism of enough that was popular and much that threatened to be. (Nathan was forced to resign as his co-editor a year after the magazine started.) Simeon Strunsky in "The New York Times" observed that, "The dead hand of the yokelry on the instinct for beauty cannot be so heavy if the handsome green and black cover of "The American Mercury" exists." The quote was used on the subscription form for the magazine during its heyday.