I've been a long-time follower of the blog Contrariwise, which posts regular updates of reader-submitted literary tattoos. From illustrations to quotes to punctuation marks, bookworms seem as fond of ink on bodies as they are of ink on the page. Yours truly is no exception; I've been planning for years how to fit in another tattoo, this one a literary quote. Back in October, the Montreal Gazette ran an article about the rise of literary-themed tattoos. Tess Adamski, a Montreal resident, has over 20 tattoos of Kerouac quotes:
"The physical step of ink . . . (gives) the feeling that you're literally enveloping yourself in a book... It's a powerful and comforting process."
See? As fond of ink on skin as of ink on paper.
And now that ink on skin has found its way into ink on paper, with Harper Perennial's release of The World Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide. Personally, I'm intrigued by the book, as much for information as inspiration. But I'm also wondering aloud to the bookworm community: is this trend a sign that bookishness is on the rise? Suddenly, or once again, something to boast publicly? Or is it pretentiousness? Somewhere in between? What do you all make of this display of book love?
