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Reading list

Satirists Who Drew Blood

The best satire is not decoration; it is an argument that arrives disguised as a joke. These pieces use irony, deadpan, and mock-solemnity to say what a straight essay could not, and they still cut.

The essays (5), free to read in full

  1. 01A Modest ProposalJonathan Swift
  2. 02The War PrayerMark Twain
  3. 03The Devil's DictionaryAmbrose Bierce
  4. 04On Prayers for VictoryFinley Peter Dunne
  5. 05The Decay of LyingOscar Wilde

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