Author: sierrangrubb

Plague Art: Danse Macabre Through the Ages

Plagues and other periods of widespread hardship have inspired beautiful, satirical, and haunting artwork throughout history. The Black Death in particular spawned an artistic genre with themes that speak to the sentiments of the affected populace and persist to this day. The Black Death (1347-1351) is the most deadly pandemic in human history, having killed … Continue reading Plague Art: Danse Macabre Through the Ages

A Modest Proposal for Babycakes

How would you solve world hunger? Jonathan Swift’s 1729 essay “A Modest Proposal” has an answer, but it might not be one you’d expect. In what is one of the most renowned and outrageous works of satire in the English-speaking world, Swift modestly proposes that for Irish babies to be “beneficial to the publick,” 20% … Continue reading A Modest Proposal for Babycakes