I Go Back to May 1937
This awesome tattoo belongs to Molly:
This tattoo was inspired by a trip to Bread Loaf this summer, where I studied poetry with Ellen Bryant Voigt. I have always admired the ways we can re-imagine poems outside of typical lineation, how poems can become sculptures and books can be objects of art with textures and breath. A bit of fortune converged with my desire: I have a dear friend in my MFA program whose husband happens to be a tattoo artist, and that husband just so wanted to spend some time on a letterpress, and I had just acquired a Kelsey platen press. A trade was proposed, and Shawn designed the whole thing with wings in mind, something that would also resemble lungs and breathing and the lift of freedom at the end of Sharon Olds' oft-studied "I Go Back to May 1937." The poem is there, on my arm, in its entirety. Olds is my most beloved living poet, and this poem speaks to me with my own work--taking life experiences and professing: "Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it." Olds once said that poetry comes out of her lungs, and now I have this reminder, this collection of gorgeous language, that tells me again and again: don't forget to breathe, don't forget who you are.
You can view Molly's Flickr set for more pictures of the tattoo's progress.
The tattoo was done by Shawn Hebrank of Identity Tattoo in Maplewood, Minnesota.
Follow Contrariwise
May 28th, 2010 - 11:40
Wow !
May 28th, 2010 - 11:48
I can't help but wonder how it'll age with time, but that certainly seems appropriate, considering the poem. Regardless, it's staggeringly lovely.
May 28th, 2010 - 17:51
that's stunning! absolutely amazing!
May 31st, 2010 - 21:56
It's amazing how everything can be interpreted. Much like poems and words.
I didn't see the wings until I looked at the Flickr set, but instead saw fire. I think they're both very fitting.
June 1st, 2010 - 08:18
Wow, wow, wow. Amazing.
June 2nd, 2010 - 15:09
Sharon Olds is an amazing person. I've had her as a professor; she gave us copies of a poem she was working on. She's really lived. I love this tattoo!
June 2nd, 2010 - 19:13
Love this!
June 4th, 2010 - 12:11
Nice idea but that will be a blurry mess within 1 year.
June 8th, 2010 - 12:16
I can see what you were trying to do but it seems a bit of a mess…
June 9th, 2010 - 07:42
If you click on the flickr photos everything is clearer. It's a very unique idea and gorgeous tattoo and even if the words do run together it will still be in a nice wing shape and you will always know what it says. beautifully done, I've never seen anything like it!
June 11th, 2010 - 15:12
I don't like this at all :(
June 23rd, 2010 - 07:46
whats with the no posting for almost a month- this makes me sad inside and outside.
June 23rd, 2010 - 08:01
I second Heather's sentiment : (
June 24th, 2010 - 23:11
Update this site, gosh. This may not be important to you but a lot of people like to share and interact with people of the same interests (i.e. literary tattoos.) Make a commitment and stick to it! It makes me angry how this site is updated only once a month, there have to be more literary tattoos than that. I have 4 so contact me if you're having trouble finding people. :/
June 25th, 2010 - 05:32
Jen, you could (and probably should) just give the site to someone who has the time to keep it up.
June 25th, 2010 - 12:50
Agreed with both Anons.
June 25th, 2010 - 14:00
to anon 1 – that's awesome you have 4 literary tattoos! can't wait to see them (at some point, i guess?). i want to ask what they are but that'll spoil the actual photos…
anon 2 + 3 – i agree w/ this too
June 27th, 2010 - 19:13
come on, everyone. take a chill pill and give jen a break. i'm sure she does her best to keep up with the site, but she does have a life of her own and other important things to attend to. as much as you and i would like to see the site updated, the fact remains that jen isn't doing it for profit or any other banal reasons like that. contrariwise is a labour of love and a hobby. jen isn't obliged to post tattoos just for our daily/ weekly entertainment if she has other more crucial things she needs to do.
that said, i am looking forward to when the updates do resume. come back soon, jen!
June 28th, 2010 - 21:22
It's not an obligation, but it seems like it feels like it to Jen, since she rarely posts. She should maybe think about collaborating with one or two others so the site could be a much more enjoyable place for people who share her "love and hobby" as you say. It'd be beneficial to everyone, I think. (=
June 29th, 2010 - 18:22
Everybody here might also like this site, if you don't follow it already:
http://community.livejournal.com/literarytattoos
June 30th, 2010 - 07:16
I miss the literary tattoo updates too! Here's something to hold everybody over: the poetry podcast I co-edit has some tattoo related poems this week and a conversation with a tattoo artist while he was tattooing my ankle. Here's the link – http://www.redlionsq.com.
July 6th, 2010 - 19:38
I agree that if Jen finds this too much of an obligation, it would make a lot of sense to ask one or two people to co-moderate. Otherwise it is tempting to try and start up a different blog just for some regular content. I love this blog's theme dearly but it's sad that long breaks happen completely unannounced.
July 8th, 2010 - 08:28
I have emailed Jen several times and get completely ignored, its quite shoddy the way she treats fans of her site.
If she can't cope she should get help as others have already said.
July 27th, 2010 - 09:44
it's been 2 months. is the site dead?
July 30th, 2010 - 19:54
The site is dead people.
The admin doesn't reply to emails.. and it hasn't been updated in months. And even if it is, there's months between posts.
July 30th, 2010 - 20:19
Hey all,
I started a new website of sorts, exactly like this one.
Submission info is in the first post, so feel free to check it out.
Hopefully you all email me, because I don't have anything to put up yet :-P
August 6th, 2010 - 03:26
How lame – I love this site, and it's rude of Jen to just let it slip away… especially with so many loyal fans! Please bequeath it to someone who'll keep it regular!!!
August 24th, 2010 - 16:02
Very upsetting that this site isn't frequently updated. I love looking at all these great tattoos!
In any case, first I want to say that this "I Go Back to May 1937" tattoo is GORGEOUS and Sharon Olds is my absolute favorite poet. (I am actually getting the last line tattooed on my shoulder in a few weeks)
I also want to mention that on my blog, oneyear100books.com, I am trying to read 100 books in a year. BUT because I love tattoos so much, if anyone reads the blog and happens to have a tattoo that relates in any way to the books I'm reading (even if it's not directly related to the book), please send me over a picture so I can post it on the blog! My email is [email protected]
August 25th, 2010 - 09:29
wondering if jen is ok
August 30th, 2010 - 11:56
Jen's okay — she's traveling! Scotland, the lucky girl.
September 10th, 2010 - 06:25
Hi Jen, just wanted to say that a danish newspaper just wrote an article on literary tattoos and linked to contrariwise. Well done!
Maya
September 22nd, 2010 - 20:52
If you like words, Google: Croatoan
October 2nd, 2010 - 22:23
oh if she's ok then she'll be back and we'll have more tattos! yay!
November 14th, 2010 - 04:51
still traveling? :(
December 6th, 2010 - 00:35
Wow! This is incredible—I mean, finding this blog. I have several tattoos that I have borne throughout the the years, most of which are, I guess we could say, literary. I never thought about them differently from what I thought about the world. I am, after all, a literary person. The ow or three times I've attempted to make sense about the "writerly" style of my tattoos (in three or four languages) I have come with the answer of understanding the body as a soft and sensible surface where things are inscribed (gender, nationality, race, etc.) but things could also be, literally speaking, written.
December 8th, 2010 - 10:16
I have never been a big fan of tattoos but I came across this site and I am…beyond words. I am so taken with many of them and the stories behind them. This is material for an amazing exhibit.
April 5th, 2011 - 08:44
It's time to break out some new photos… We want you back!
April 10th, 2011 - 19:51
So I'm pretty sure the owner of this website is dead. No updates in almost a full year.
March 8th, 2012 - 19:05
I'm ALIIIIIIIIIVE!
April 19th, 2011 - 15:32
That is quite a typography tattoo. Must have taken some serious concentration.
It's too bad you don't update this site anymore!!
June 18th, 2011 - 11:16
If you want updates go to the contrariwise facebook page. People are posting their ink there.
July 23rd, 2011 - 08:34
It is sad that this wonderful website has been abandoned and left to rot.
January 20th, 2012 - 16:58
LOVE this tattoo. Been looking for some inspiration and this has just sent me off in a completely different direction (promise not to steal it!!)
Jen, hope you're not dead and that you enjoyed Scotland, if you're still paying for hosting but can't be bothered to update, so what, cheers for hosting this space in the first place, otherwise I'd have never seen the tattoos that are already on here! Everyone with their knickers in a twist who thinks they're being helpful whilst also being moaning minnies, shhhh.
February 3rd, 2012 - 06:10
Really nice text, nice and original, love your blog to, keep up the good work, thanks
February 24th, 2012 - 04:37
Really very beautiful tattoo photos ! I like text :D
Jessy
March 8th, 2012 - 17:03
gorgeous!
March 11th, 2012 - 17:01
its different – but I do kinda like it