Bring out your dead : the literature and history of epidemics : with essays on the joy of reading in a distracted time
(Book - Regular Print)

Includes bibliographical references.

"The literature of pandemics is rich and revealing. The virus in question may change but human nature remains the same whether it is in response to the Black Plague of 1348 or the Covid-19 virus of 2020. The history and literature of pandemics teaches us that 1) we are not alone--our responses have been the same as all people at all times when an epidemic visits seemingly out of nowhere; 2) we will get through this--however apocalyptic this crisis seems at the moment, the day will come when we look back on this serenely as one of the defining moments of our lives; 3) we are extremely fortunate to live when we do because we understand viruses, know how they spread, and have the capacity to develop vaccines to overcome them; 4) the humanities help us cope by 'placing' our concerns in a much larger context of history and literature"--Amazon.com.