Learning Plague History With Sara Tantlinger
Oh boy – okay, here we go…
I recently got the chance to read Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger and it destroyed me. Like in a good way. But also in kind of a bad away? Because parasites?
First of all – let’s get this all out on the table:
We are in the middle of a pandemic, it is very scary, but the world has been dealing with pandemics since the dawn of time. They have evolved, we have evolved, but also not a lot has changed. We are making the same mistakes over and over and those in charge continue to make terrifying mistakes and choices.
“…Do not make the mistake of thinking history will never repeat itself, no matter how horrifying, no matter the amount of dead, and no matter the lies we tell ourselves…”
This collection of poetry tackles the first ever plagues that we know about all the way up to modern day. If you are squeamish, have a phobia of viruses, and like to read lighthearted romantic poetry – walk away. WALK AWAY NOW.
Now, speaking to my spooky babies who are like YES PLEASE, sign me the fuck up….welcome!
Let’s dive in:
I’ve actually never reviewed a poetry collection before so I’m not really sure how I should write this. I made 8 pages of notes while reading this 89 page novella and squealed at all the incredible quotes I was saving. But I can’t just copy and paste 8 pages of mad fan girl ramblings. SO here’s what I will do…..
Favorite Poems:
Crimson Mercy – This one was so heartbreakingly sad. “…I sit quietly when the reaper knocks, when we stare at one another until the suffering inside me consumes all gasping breaths of air…”
Village Gravediggers – This one follows someone as they go door to door collecting the dead, painting the doors and burning the bodies, and speaks to how they will most likely have to do this for their own family. “…and father forgive me I will have to burn you too…”
Bloodletting - Incredible – talks about those untested treatments for plagues that people believed in. Much like America’s leader right now and the strange drugs he keeps pushing. “…will save you from anything other than the truth of your dying…”
In The Butchered Aftermath - About how history rewrites strong women out of the story. “…but the women know history will not be kind to their sisters, will be written by jealous cowards...” “…cruelness is nothing new, the women know...”
Bubonic Litany - “...just trying to dig in deep with parasitic hands and teeth, let me in..” from the perspective of black death itself. Super powerful.
Blackbirds, Black Death - Heartbreaking “…sister, we once planted imaginary gardens for imaginary birds, but now blackbird men have materialized from that secret place and stand guard outside my window…”
Shrouded Dreams – Just super creepy imagery that’s gonna show up when I close my eyes tonight I JUST KNOW IT. “..they climb out of misted dream clouds rattling towards me on all fours…”
Near the end there’s quite a few poems that mention parasites. I would say, genuinely, my two biggest fears in life are parasites and home invasions. So, getting through these particular poems was horrifying. There was one about a tapeworm where I was just like *reading* *gagging* *reading* *gagging* “…inside her brain, the worm did whisper from where it has lived for nearly six years….” I WILL NEVER RECOVER FROM THIS LINE.
Things I Learned:
First of all – I am frightened by how little we have learned from history about how to deal with plagues and pandemics. Also how otherworldly a sickness really is – it does not give a shit about war or poverty or politics – it just fucking kills. In many of her poems, Sara makes the sickness a lifelike entity and it’s so effectively scary. “…human law no longer a threat that matters as fear of death runs rampant between horrendous crime, citizens spending money foolishly, refusing to obey codes, discarding honor, all too afraid of the death sentence disease has wrought within town…”
Actual plague info wise I learned about the Justinian plague which I had not heard of. It was caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis which is the same bacteria that would later cause the Black Death. This particular strain lasted FIVE YEARS.
I also learned all about the battle of Caffa where the Mongols catapulted their own infected dead bodies over the wall to infect the town. One of the earliest versions of biological warfare!
I genuinely had not heard of Plum Gut Harbor and there’s some poems in here about that in particular. I had a good time researching but really we don’t know exactly what went on there and that’s sort of more terrifying!
The collection starts from the plague in Athens in 430 BC and leads us through the Justinian Plague, Black Death, the London fire, Princess Joan, Henry VIII, to modern day with poems about rabies, parasites, tapeworms, and mad cow. A true history is covered here and it is a fascinating and terrifying read. I can’t recommend this enough – what a beautifully horrifying unique book.
Thank you, Sara, for writing this and birthing it into a messy horrible world and giving us a little bit of light in the madness.
Summing up the whole thing I will use Sara’s own words; “…did you ever think something as microscopic as a germ could hurt this much?”
But, to also use Sara’s words, I don’t want you to leave feeling down – the world is terrible, human kind can be terrible, but “…sometimes it takes great pain and darkness to seek out even greater beauty.”
Wear a mask, stay 6ft away from others, be kind, be smart, and stay spooky.
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