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    Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them
    Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them
    Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them
    Ebook73 pages19 minutes

    Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them

    By Wendy MacNaughton and Isaac Fitzgerald

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    About this ebook

    “Together, [these pictures and stories] do the work of great literature-gathering a force so true they ultimately tell a story that includes us all.” -Cheryl Strayed, from the Introduction

    From New York Times bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton and bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald--the stories behind the question, Why did you get that tattoo?

    Every tattoo tells a story, whether the ink is meaningful or the result of a misguided decision made at the age of fourteen, representative of the wearer's true self or the accidental consequence of a bender. Pen & Ink grants us access to the tattoos-and the stories behind them-of writers Cheryl Strayed and Roxane Gay; rockers in the bands Korn, Otep, and Five Finger Death Punch; and even a porn star. But it also illuminates the tattoos of the ordinary people living in our midst-from professors to thrift store salespeople, cafe owners to librarians, union organizers to administrators-and their extraordinary lives.

    Curated and edited by Isaac Fitzgerald, who sports twelve tattoos himself, each story “is like being let in on . . . secrets by . . . strangers who passed you on the street or sat across from you on the train” (Strayed) and features Wendy MacNaughton's gorgeously rendered full-color illustrations of the tattoos on black-and-white drawings of the bearer's body. At its heart, beneath its colorful skin, Pen & Ink is an exploration of the decision to scar one's self with a symbol and a story.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury USA
    Release dateOct 7, 2014
    ISBN9781620404928
    Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them
    Author

    Wendy MacNaughton

    Wendy MacNaughton is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist whose books include Meanwhile in San Francisco (Chronicle), Pen & Ink (Bloomsbury). The Gutsy Girl (Bloomsbury), and The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Her work appears in publications like The New York Times, Lucky Peach, Bon Appétit, AFAR Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the back page columnist for The California Sunday Magazine.

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    Reviews for Pen & Ink

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      I've noticed more and more people seem to have tattoos these days, and although I've had mine for more than 16 years, I might be thinking about getting another one.Whether I do or not, I always enjoy looking at other tattoos and of course pondering the stories behind them. Isaac Fitzgerald is the editor at BuzzFeed Books and has put together a book of tattoos from people from all walks of life and the personal stories behind each one. Illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton, the result is Pen & Ink: Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them.I'll admit it was unusual to read a book about tattoos without colour photographs of the artwork, but I'll admit a certain pleasure seeing the drawings of the art instead; no trouble with poor lighting or distractions from the human canvases.Pen & Ink: Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them would make a great gift.
    • 3/5
      I thought they were going to show actual pictures of people's tattoos . Instead it was just drawings which was highly disappointing. The stories about them were cool but the drawings really took away from it
    • 4/5
      very original
    • 5/5
      This book opens your mind up so much to understand that tattoos are not always just a passing phase but represent deep emotions, spirituality and connections with family and friends. Enlightening!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      While not a fan of tattoos, I am amazed – in both good and bad ways – at some of the artwork I see and have often wondered what motivated the person to make the choice they did. After all, this isn’t a decision that can easily be changed. In Pen & Ink, the authors asked the question ‘why’ to a range of mostly ordinary people (there were a few rock stars and porn stars in the mix), and received a fascinating array of answers.While the stories are often serious, the book is presented in a whimsical fashion with the tattoos drawn in 4-color illustrations rather than photographs, and the essays are printed using a handwriting-style font. At first glance it resembles a graphic novel.The stories range from only a few words, to long, full-page explanations. Some were done on a whim, others for love and still others as a tribute to a loved one or even a beloved pet. All were emotional and revealing – and a few were scary as people described giving themselves the tattoo!An interesting look at pop culture and a revealing book for anyone who has ever wondered ‘why?’.

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    Pen & Ink - Wendy MacNaughton

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