By: The Essayist | 27Nov1999

sat·ire n. 1. a. A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.     b. The branch of literature constituting such works. See Synonyms at caricature. 2. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity. -- www.dictionary.com In case you are unfamiliar with this method of editorial writing, Quest of the Unquietmind has a lot of it, and we plan to publish much more. We only apologize where it doesn't have quite as much bite as it could, and where it isn't as caustic and offensive as it might be. Satire can be a particularly effective method of writing about injustice, where arid facts and unembellished commentary wouldn't have the emotional impact we'd like. Satire can involve "reverse psychology": suggest an idea to a reader who finds it horrifying, and you've begun to convinced him/her of the opposite. For well-crafted historical examples of satire, refer to Jonathan Swift -- particularly A Modest Proposal in which the author suggested that the poor Irish of his time might be able to resolve their poverty by eating their own children or selling them for food to the more prosperous English.