The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide by Eva Talmadge & Justin Taylor

Reluctant reader or not, students are quickly swayed by enticing illustrations. And what better or more popular illustrations than tattoos? The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide goes a step further than your average tattoo anthology; it chronicles tattoos of famous and cherished lines of poetry, prose and their related illustrations on the bodies of individuals across the country. Each tattoo is complete with an image and an explanation of the significance of the literary inking. Herein lies the librarian’s mischievous plot: bait a student via interest in a literary tattoo, and then lead them to the larger body of work itself! M.’s tattoo of “I feel infinite” on her left shoulder blade, for example, will steer readers to Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Who knows? Soon troubled teens may be tripping over their appreciation of e.e. cummings and Samuel Beckett. Better yet, their enthrallment may have began with a school library and a book about literary tattoos.

*Please note that there is some nudity in this title, but nothing explicit. The book may not be appropriate for all ages. -- Lisa Buckton

Talmadge, Eva and Justin Taylor. The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010.