Two Brooklyn Bookworms Capture An Emerging Tattoo Trend In Their New Book

I've written about my fascination with tattoos before, and thanks to a new book by two Brooklyn bibliophiles, I can ogle some beautiful body art, while pleasing my inner English major at the same time. Longtime friends Justin Taylor and Eva Talmadge published The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide -- which was released on October 12 -- after noticing the rapid mainstreaming of tattoos in their neighborhood and beyond, and more specifically, the emerging trend of literary tattoos. One of the aspects about this genre of body art that the authors found so interesting was the meeting of literature -- something considered to be "high culture" -- and tattooing, which has been looked down upon as an aspect of "low culture" since its inception. From Shakespeare verses to Shel Silverstein illustrations, the anthology features photos of tattoos submitted from all over the world, alongside the stories that inspired them. During a slideshow at their book release shindig in Dumbo last night, the pair said that they've noticed Kurt Vonnegut as one of the most frequently tattooed authors, but they have also seen their fair share of Harry Potter and Twilight-inspired ink. If you've taken the plunge and turned the text on the page of your favorite novel or poem into text on your body, the authors are still accepting submissions on their blog -- they're committed to adding a new lit tattoo every day.