The contents are expansive: they include canonical, frequently taught texts, less anthologized works by major satirists, and works by writers who have been traditionally excluded from anthologies. Biographical headnotes, crisp footnotes, and carefully edited texts make the book suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms.

The contents are expansive: they include canonical, frequently taught texts, less anthologized works by major satirists, and works by writers who have been traditionally excluded from anthologies. Biographical headnotes, crisp footnotes, and carefully edited texts make the book suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms.