Contrariwise: Literary Tattoos

deep roots are not reached by the frost

Jen — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:00:12 +0000

This was submitted by Ashley.

This is one of the last tattoos that I am doing in my training phase of being a tattoo artist. This Tolkein quote is on one of my very best friends, Kathryn :)

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Chortle

Jen — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:00:20 +0000

This belongs to Jennifer P.

My favorite word ever. Not only is it something I regular do in my daily life, I just love the idea that Lewis Carroll made it up. Who doesn't want to coin their own word? Also, right after I got it finished the first thing I said is "I have to upload this to contariwise!"

chor·tle
/ˈCHôrtl/
Verb
Laugh in a breathy, gleeful way

Stay Gold

Jen — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:59 +0000

This belongs to Megan.

This is a reminder to myself to not let the world get me down. I have a lot ahead of me and so much life to experience. And this is my reminder to make sure I enjoy every minute of it and live it to the fullest.

“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.”

― S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders

Gravitation

Jen — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:23 +0000

This belongs to Rachel.

This is a tattoo I got [March 14th], on Einstein's birthday, of my favorite Einstein quote: "Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."

I'd heard it before as "You can't blame gravity for falling in love", but by researching it a bit I found that this was the actual quote. I love it!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Jen — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

This belongs to Erik.

This tattoo is from my favorite book, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," by Michael Chabon. In this book, two Jewish cousins come together during WWII and begin writing a comic book. The main character they invent is this guy, the Escapist. Throughout the book, the Escapist represents and evolves with the two characters as they both are searching for a sense of masculinity. I identified incredibly with one character, Sam Clay, in particular who used the Escapist throughout his life to explore the deeper meanings of masculinity within a culture that tries to define it for him.

It

Jen — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:00:58 +0000

This belongs to sue z q.

“Best not to look back. Best to believe there will be happily ever afters all the way around - and so there may be; who is to say there will not be such endings? Not all boats which sail away into darkness never find the sun again, or the hand of another child; if life teaches anything at all, it teachers that there are so many happy endings that the man who believes there is no God needs his rationality called into serious question.”

- Stephen King, It

So it Goes #72, 73, 74

Jen — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:00:30 +0000

This belongs to Katie.

"The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will
exist."

I had this tattooed on the fifth anniversary of my stepfather's death, as a memento of him and his time in my life. They're such incredibly powerful words, a reminder that life will always go on even after our bodies have expired, in the hearts and minds of everyone we touch, a reminder that we are just specks on this earth, infinitesimal, and yet everything to those we love.

This belongs to Shawn Lynch.

Favorite literary/Buddhist quote and one I knew I wanted for years.

The font is Kabel and it was done at Rebellious Addiction Tattoo in Gilbert, AZ

This belongs to Chloe Anne.

I got this because I think it's important to remember the conditional nature of being alive at all, and that it's all so temporary as individual moments, but the idea that it's totally permanent outside of those individual moments--that you can just look to another one, that it's a great expanse--is pretty fantastic. Yes, terrible things happen, but not just terrible things have happened, and they won't always happen.

This was posted as a part of “So it Goes” Saturdays. The phrase “so it goes” appears in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five 106 times. Can you help me collect 106 “so it goes” tattoos? 74 down, 32 to go.

I doubted if I should ever come back.

Jen — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:00:24 +0000

This belongs to Matthew Lunsford.

Done at Stay True Route 66 Tattoo Parlor, Amarillo TX

From Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". I've always had a sense of wanderlust (growing up as a navy brat only helped fuel it) and I've always been uncomfortable staying in one place.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

- Excerpt from "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Timshel in Hebrew

Jen — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:00:51 +0000

Yesterday I posted 5 "timshel" tattoos. Here are two written in Hebrew.

This belongs to Ryann.

This belongs to Hannah Waterman.

The tattoo is from John Steinbeck's East of Eden. It means "timshel" and it is in Hebrew.

I was inspired by this passage because it spoke to my own personal perspective on choice and how that fits in with in an idea of "God's will" for me, I also am Jewish in background - something I relate to as a culture and a history and less as a religion, so having it done in the Hebrew script felt meaningful and personal, and, finally, as a passionate reader, it was very meaningful to me to choose a moment that I loved from a book that I loved.

timshel

Jen — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:00:14 +0000

This belongs to Jessica.

This belongs to Jen.

My tattoo is from the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

I got this tattoo after my first year away at college and after someone had recommended me the book East of Eden. It was my first introduction to Steinbeck, and I fell in love with it. This word, timshel, made me realize that I have a choice in everything I do - I may, or I may not. I was given free will and the option to choose, and I realized that I needed to make my choices wisely. I only get one chance at this life and if we were given the power to choose, then we must make choices that make good use of our free will. I got this after a rough year in which I had made some bad choices and I got it to remind myself to not go down that path again. To remind myself to live with integrity and make good use of the free will that we have been granted.

This belongs to Cara.

My tattoo is a combination of 2 sources . I have a piece of Elliott Smith's Figure 8 wall on my ankle. Then next to it (in "Elliott Smith font") is the word "timshel" from one of my favorite novels, East of Eden. I went to Explicit Tattoo, and was worked on by Geoff, who did a fabulous job.

This belongs to Cassandra.

I got this tattoo as a permanent reminder of one of the best themes from its pages. I love the idea that nothing is prescribed, nothing is unable to be overcome; timshel means "/thou mayest/": thou mayest follow a different path then your screwed up parents, choose a life of goodness, be the person you *want* to be. You can be a lesser person but you have the choice: there's always a choice. It's about evaluating options and choosing your actions. You're never backed into a corner.

Apparently this book is Oprah-endorsed but that is a fact I'm willing to ignore. It's a great book. Everyone should read it.

This belongs to Stephanie Crouch.

I got this tattoo the day after I turned 18, as a happy birthday to myself. I read the book East of Eden by Steinbeck in the January of 2011, the year before, and I knew from the moment I read the scene where the word is introduced I wanted it somewhere on my body. The word 'timshel' is Hebrew for 'thou mayest,' basically free will. I got it not only because I love the novel (it is my all-time favorite, and I doubt that will every change), but because it reminds me that any decision I make is my own and not others. I've had a hard time most of my life trying to make decisions, and this is just a gentle reminder that I don't have to please everyone with what I decide. It's the first of many tattoos to come.

“After two years we felt that we could approach your sixteen verses of the fourth chapter of Genesis. My old gentlemen felt that these words were very important too—‘Thou shalt’ and ‘Do thou.’ And this was the gold from our mining: ‘Thou mayest.’ ‘Thou mayest rule over sin.’ The old gentlemen smiled and nodded and felt the years were well spent. It brought them out of their Chinese shells too, and right now they are studying Greek.”

Samuel said, “It’s a fantastic story. And I’ve tried to follow and maybe I’ve missed somewhere. Why is this word so important?”

Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. “Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

- East of Eden by John Steinbeck

and it was still hot.

Jen — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:00:32 +0000

This belongs to Amanda.

This final sentence-fragment, featured on the last, image-less page of Where the Wild Things Are, is a meaningful touchstone for me, as a mother, because of its simple message about the steadfast nature of parental love.

Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye
and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day
and into the night of his very own room, where he found his supper waiting for him

and it was still hot.

(Do you think?)

Jen — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:00:36 +0000

This belongs to Alexis.

These are the last five lines of the 1920 e.e. cummings' poem, "Into the Strenuous Briefness."

(Do you think?) the
i do, world
is probably made
of roses & hello:

(of solongs and, ashes)

2012 was a rather difficult year for me, with a lot of drama and heartbreak and change. And so to start of the new year, I wanted to permanently adorn myself with the idea that all moments are fleeting -- the good and the bad (roses/hello, goodbyes/ashes). The entire poem is wonderful, full of great images -- but it was those last few lines which really resonated.

The work was done by a fantastic artist, Liaa Walter, who is based in Washington DC. I'd recommend her to anyone. And it is in King font.

starving hysterical naked

Jen — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:00:51 +0000

This belongs to Pier.

This poem means a lot to me and I wanted it to be a part of me and this is the best way I could choose. The font is "Courier New".

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked

- The first line of Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

So it goes #69, 70, 71

Jen — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:00:30 +0000

This tattoo belongs to Misa and was done at Sacred Tattoo, Auckland New Zealand. Georgia font.

Many year ago, a person who I truly love and admire introduced me to Slaughterhouse-Five. He knew that I often escaped into literature, and thought, "who better to escape with than Vonnegut?" The book, and Vonnegut's quotes, helped me through some very tough times. And this tattoo is a reminder of just how far I've come. It tells me to let things go when I need to, to look forward and smile when I can, and to remember there's a far bigger picture here than little old me. Somehow, I find that deeply comforting.

This belongs to Ed.

This is one that was a loooooong time in the making. From about the first moment the needle hit my skin for my first tattoo I had this one in mind. Years and years and years later I finally got it done. The typewriter itself is based on a classic "Loyal Royal" as used by Hemingway among others. The quote on the paper is obviously Vonnegut. I considered getting Vonnegut's actual typer incorporated, but after a little research I found that his chosen model was ugly as fuck so I went with the Royal.

I read Slaughterhouse-Five at least once a year and it's rarely far from my thoughts so it seemed fitting to get it permanently attached to my arm. I hope you like it because I really do.

This belongs to Helga.

This tattoo is the latest out of several I have. My husband nearly died a couple of months ago and everything we have been through together made me think a lot about life and death. I have been reading and re-reading Vonnegut for years and always discovered some new aspects that helped me through when dark days came. This tattoo helps me to remember that I can go on no matter what and that basically world is a terrific place.

scribbled secret notebooks

Jen — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:00:18 +0000

This belongs to "kinko88".

This is my first tattoo, done by Matt at Evolved in Columbus, OH. The quote is from Jack Kerouac; it's his first on a list of thirty tips for "spontaneous prose" (what he called his own writing style). I chose this quote because I've been fascinated by the Beat Generation--their literature, poems, the relationships between different members of the circle, ideas in general--since I first read On the Road and "Howl" in high school. I write poetry and stories casually (using an old typewriter of course!), and am always jotting down little phrases that come to my head, so I thought this quote was especially appropriate. And no, the "yr" is not a typo, it's how Kerouac wrote it.

"scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy"

- Jack Kerouac

To hell with luck.

Jen — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:00:55 +0000

This tattoo belongs to Tom.

The tattoo is a quote from the end of Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" and a quote that I have always loved. My friend Ryan is a tattoo artist, and when I approached him with the idea of surrounding the quote with a rendering of Hemingway's beard he understood exactly what I was looking for and knocked it out of the park. Obviously the font is a simple typewriter font.

“To hell with luck. I’ll bring the luck with me.”

Real Courage

Jen — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:00:22 +0000

This tattoo belongs to Sally from Minneapolis, and was done by Cole at Dinkytown Tattoo.

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 11, spoken by Atticus Finch

Something has been suffered.

Jen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:00:27 +0000

This tattoo belongs to Megan and is from House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.

The line is "Something has been suffered." And it's a tiny excerpt from a really big paragraph:

“Who has never killed an hour? Not casually or without thought, but carefully: a premeditated murder of minutes. The violence comes from a combination of giving up, not caring, and a resignation that getting past it is all you can hope to accomplish. So you kill the hour. You do not work, you do not read, you do not daydream. If you sleep it is not because you need to sleep. And when at last it is over, there is no evidence: no weapon, no blood, and no body. The only clue might be the shadows beneath your eyes or a terribly thin line near the corner of your mouth indicating something has been suffered, that in the privacy of your life you have lost something and the loss is too empty to share.”

It's a constant reminder to myself to not waste my time, to use every minute of my life to my advantage.

You get a lifetime.

Jen — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:00:07 +0000

This belongs to Kelly Cruttenden.

This tattoo was inspired by a quote by Death in Volume 7 of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

“But I did okay, didn’t I? I mean I got, what, fifteen thousand years. That’s pretty good. Isn’t it? I lived a pretty long time.” - Bernie

“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less.” - Death

I love the simplicity of it... our time here is not for us to determine or to control. We all get the same thing—we all get a lifetime.

Little Gidding

Jen — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:00:38 +0000

This belongs to Hayden.

The quotation is from the final movement of "Little Gidding" by T.S. Eliot. "A Condition of Complete Simplicity Costing Not Less Than Everything."

I have been thinking of this tattoo for two years or so. The previous three years have been the most difficult of my entire life; I have experienced an overturning of many of my most-secure beliefs. I have experienced tremendous grief, and yet in the midst of it I have acquired something very rare: self-knowledge. Things are still hard; I am not through it yet. It is for this reason that I selected this passage. At this point in my life, I am confident that the condition of complete simplicity, that arduous path to self-knowledge and wholeness of soul, costs everything. What I am not yet sure of, what I am still trying to believe, is that "all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." Someday, perhaps, I will be able to add those words to those inscribed in my soul and now my body.

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, remembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half heard, in the stillness
Between the two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always--
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of things shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

-Little Gidding V, Four Quartets, T.S. Eliot (1943)