First published 2014
Isaac Fitzgerald gathered tattoo stories from dozens of people across all walks of life. Writers like Cheryl Strayed and Roxane Gay shared the meanings behind their ink. Musicians from bands including Korn and Five Finger Death Punch revealed what drove them to get tattooed. A porn star opened up about body art choices. But Fitzgerald also sought out ordinary people with extraordinary stories. He found professors and thrift store workers, cafe owners and librarians, union organizers and administrators who each carried personal histories in their tattoos. Some tattoos emerged from meaningful moments. Others resulted from poor teenage judgment or drunken mistakes. The collection explores why people choose to mark their bodies permanently with symbols and stories. Wendy MacNaughton created full color illustrations of each tattoo set against black and white drawings of the bearer's body. Fitzgerald himself carries twelve tattoos and brings personal understanding to his curation. Each account reads like intimate secrets shared by strangers you might pass on the street or sit near on public transport.
Genres: biography, art, memoir, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate-secrets
133 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury USA