Description
Book SynopsisA book on tattoo literature and culture. It traces the origins and significance of tattoo in the works of nineteenth and twentieth-century artists, travelers, missionaries, scientists, and such writers as Herman Melville, Margaret Mead, and Albert Wendt. It shows how culture has been etched on the human form and on a body of literature.
Trade ReviewThis fascinating book traces the culture and literature surrounding the curious art that uses skin as a canvas. -- Billy Heller New York Post [A] scholarly and beautifully written book. -- Cahir O'Doherty Irish Voice Best New Book by a Local Author Baltimore City Paper Richly layered and meticulously researched -- Vivienne Muller M/C Reviews This brilliant, wide-ranging study deserves careful reading. Pacific Affairs
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments A Note About Pacific Languages Introduction: Living Scripts, Texts, Strategies 1. Tatau and Malu: Vital Signs in Contemporary Samoan Literature 2. "The Original Queequeg"? Te Pehi Kupe, Toi Moko, and Moby-Dick 3. Another Aesthetic: Beauty and Morality in Facial Tattoo 4. Marked Ethics: Erasing and Restoring the Tattoo 5. Locating the Sign: Visible Culture 6. Transfer of Desire: Engendering Sexuality Epilogue: The Question of Belonging Notes Bibliography Index
