Two years ago, Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor were commiserating over burritos about the sorry state of the global economy, when they decided it would probably be best to shift the topic to something a bit less depressing. As fate would have it, their respective roommates had both come home with snippets of prose from Mark Twain, William Faulkner and Herman Melville tattooed on their bodies. One year later, Talmadge and Taylor are the proud parents of a beautiful, 192-page book full of literary tattoos and the equally colorful stories behind how they came about. Entitled The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos From Bookworms Worldwide, the book documents what they viewed as a growing trend in body art: a natural progression from text on the page to text on the body. (Check out a trailer for the book here, then pick up your own copy at Amazon.) We had a digital sit-down with Eva to talk about some of her favorite pieces, as well as get the inside scoop on her next book, which you could very well be a part of.

What was your first tattoo? Can you tell me the story behind it?

Eva Talmadge: Oh man, I was hoping not to have to answer this question, but okay! My first tattoo was a Fred Perry wreath, right on the back of my neck. I was 17 when I got it, madly obsessed with traditional ska, old punk, and old reggae. You can guess what sort of trouble that was leading me into. At the same time, weirdo punk kid that I was, I was also into Russian literature—to whatever extent I could understand Russian novels at the time—and decided it would be a good idea to escape my hometown punk scene (in Miami) for a couple months as a foreign exchange student in Moscow. That was an insane idea, but the highlight of the trip was meeting Yura, a 16-year-old from Moldovia who was as crazy about Janet Jackson as I was about ska. Maybe even more so. He was progressively getting copies of all her tattoos on various parts of his body, corresponding to their locations on her body. The “shop” itself was in a storeroom at the back of a clothing store that catered to the rave scene—platform boots, spiked collars and everything rubber—which we had to roll our eyes at. The tattoo artist didn’t blink when Yura explained what he wanted, but he laughed at me when I explained, in crappy Russian, what I wanted him to do. “An advertisement?” he asked. “Yes,” I said. A little stupid, looking back, to tattoo a logo on oneself, but I can’t say I regret it.

When your book, The Word Made Flesh, started to really come to fruition and you were getting lots of submissions, did you have any revelations about the subject matter? Obviously you go into something like this expecting a certain response or level of engagement, but what were the surprises?

Eva Talmadge: Justin might answer this question differently, being a literary person and not a tattooed person, but as someone who’s spent years in and out of tattoo shops and hanging out with similarly tattooed friends, I have to say nothing surprised me. A Harry Potter logo on someone’s neck? Sure. A full back piece featuring Jack Kerouac or Adorno? Hell, yes. I’ll admit I was surprised to see not one but two John Berryman tattoos come in—a stanza from The Dream Songs on one person and his portrait on another. Beyond that, perhaps the only thing that surprised me was the sheer number of literary tattoos out there. And they’re still coming in! There’s so many we can post a new one on our blog just about every day.

Of all the people you collaborated with for the book, which piece stands out the most?

Eva Talmadge: I’d be breaking hearts if I picked favorites, but Jamie “Scapegoat” Garvey of Gainesville, Florida definitely has one of the best stories to go with his tattoo. It’s a line from e. e. cummings—“How do you like your blue-eyed boy, Mr. Death?”—that he copied off of Harry Crews. As for how Jamie came to become friends with Crews, and how the man—famous writer and notorious recluse—reacted to the copied tattoo. Well, you’ll have to read his story in “The Word Made Flesh” to find out.

Can you tell me a little about Justin and the role he’s played in this process?

Eva Talmadge: Justin Taylor is a super talented fiction writer—his first novel, “The Gospel Of Anarchy,” comes out February 8th—and a pretty serious nonfiction writer as well. We met as undergrads in a writing workshop at the University of Florida, taught by none other than David Leavitt. Justin ran a creative writing group out of his house back then, but all I seem to remember is that there was a lot of drinking going on. We became friends a few years later when we both came to New York. The tattoo book got started by accident. We were in Williamsburg eating burritos and griping about the crappy economy back in 2009 when we decided to change the subject to the new tattoos our roommates were coming home with. Faulkner on one of mine, Twain and Melville on one of his. And so the book was born.

Tell me a bit about the new book project you’re working on.

Eva Talmadge: Right now I’m putting together a sequel to “The Word Made Flesh,” tentatively called “The Words to Every Song,” about music and band tattoos, especially song lyric tattoos. I’m actively looking for tattoos at the moment, with an eye toward finishing the book late this year and seeing it published in 2012. The format will be very similar; a gorgeous, full-color catalog of some of the best, most awesome, and most shocking music tattoos I can find, with statements from the tattoo collectors themselves about their ink. Why they fell in love with a particular band, what music means to them.

Obviously this new book isn’t just about showing off music-related tattoos. What makes the subject matter equally intriguing are the stories behind those tattoos, right?

Eva Talmadge: Absolutely. Both books are photo-driven, to be sure, and the first reason anyone picks up “The Word Made Flesh” is for the eye candy inside. But Justin and I are writers, and these books wouldn’t happen without a lot of good storytelling, too. The stories may be presented as captions to the photos, but they’re no less important. So yes, as with the first book, I’m looking for stories to go with all the pictures in “The Words to Every Song.”

How can people get in touch with you if they’ve got a story to share?

Eva Talmadge: Drop me an e-mail at tattoolit@gmail.com and attach as many photos as you want. I love attachments. The bigger the better. High-resolution, like 2000 pixels across, is ideal.

Interview by Rich Thomas. Photos courtesy of Eva Talmadge.

It’s always a little sad when good things come to an end, even when that end signals new beginnings.

Last weekend, Salt Lake City’s Dark Arts Festival celebrated a decade of operation with its final installment, the three-day Alumni Festival that featured performers who’ve appeared at the event over the past ten years. Clint Catalyst, a good friend and man of many hats, hosted the DAF back in 2002 and was invited to join the party. He recruited goth-rock veteran Paris Sadonis [Premature Ejaculation, EXP, etc.] and me along for the ride. We cooked up a very special, butoh-inspired performance piece, piled into Clint’s hatchback, and set out for the land of goths and mormons to help The Dark Arts festival commemorate ten years of all things dark and arty.

And what a brilliant ten years it’s been, with appearances by everyone from cult comics favorite Dame Darcy to underground bands like Human Drama and Stolen Babies to a medley of local talent like Tragic Black to that guy who wrote a book on Goth and had the cheekiness to call himself “Voltaire”. And lets not forget the fiery spoken word and dance performances, the colorful vendors and the attendees themselves, dressing up and coming out to support the event that’s helped the SLC underground community thrive all these years.

A strong sense of community is the heart of the Dark Arts Festival. From the Festival’s website: “Over the course of the year, people make individual contributions and we hold various fund-raising events. 100% of the funds raised are used to benefit the festivals.” Event co-organizer Alanja DeKay was both sad and relieved about The Alumni Festival being the last, and who can blame her – after all that fundraising, conceptualizing, and booking she and the rest of the Dark Arts Committee could really use a break. “I hope that with the Festival’s end, new events will finally have a chance to grow” she mused on Saturday night.

The 2010 Dark Arts Festival featured three themed nights: Friday’s “Ancient Egypt”, Saturday’s “The French Revolution” and, yes, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Sunday. Unfortunately Clint, Paris and I had to zoom out of town before Sunday’s festivities, but check out the introductory gallery below and stay tuned for more documentation of event highlights plus our hare-brained, red-eyed driving adventure, and impromptu thrift store fashion show, and the general scandalizing of Middle America as only rabid, sleep-deprived arteests can do.

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb

If you ever dipped your toe into the punk rock stew, you inevitably got a little Bouncing Souls on you. This band has been around the scene for 20 years now and they are holding steady as one of the most hard working, rocking, always relevant bands out there. It was my pleasure to interview bass player, Bryan Kienlen to hear how the years have been treating him as an icon of the scene.

If you were forced to go back in time and change the name of the band, what would it be called?

Bryan Kienlen: Slayer?

Being able to make great rock music for 20 years is quite an accomplishment. What does it feel like to be at this place in your life, still making records, still hitting the road?

Bryan Kienlen: It feels like success.  The fact that I have been able to live my wildest dreams, see the world, meet (and continue to be surrounded by) the most amazing people, and to have never lost touch with certain spiritual priorities I had as a kid; I’ve held on to that sense of inspiration and thus “stayed young” all these years.  Total success!

Ghosts on the Boardwalk really captures the “sound” of the Bouncing Souls, how do you define it?

Bryan Kienlen: It’s hard to define exactly, I feel like we’re just vehicles for songs to flow through.  That is to say, we sort of let them write themselves through us, our job is to let it flow and not judge them too hard as it’s happening.  Some songs turn out better than others, but we’re just trying to do the best we can.  Ultimately, everything we record does have a sort of Bouncing Souls accent to it I guess, as every band develops it’s own sort of voice.  Time will tell how this record fares in the grand scheme of things, I’ve been enjoying it so far.  And yet, I’m ready to write some new stuff.

Have you ever or would you ever play with a side project?

Bryan Kienlen: Pete (Bouncing Souls) and I started a band with some friends called “Roadside Prophets”.  It’s yours truly on bass, Pete on guitar, Dave Hause of The Loved Ones on vocals, Tad and Bobby from The Hold Steady on lead guitar and drums.  Killer line-up, and we’ve had a couple practices already.  The problem is, all the members are from very busy bands so there’s been almost no time to get the Roadside Prophets off the ground unfortunately.

The Bouncing Souls, I believe more than other bands, has this rich history of people connecting with the band and the songs through tattoos? I’m sure this is flattering but when you design new graphics does it feel like a huge responsibility?

Bryan Kienlen: It’s funny, all the way back to the beginning of the band, I was getting into tattooing at the same time I was drawing our first logo and T-shirt designs.  A lot of the art therefore looked like something you might get tattooed as well. (we got the first Bouncing Souls tattoos ourselves haha).  Now all these years later, there is a rich lineage of Bouncing Souls tattoos, we even have galleries of them on our Myspace and now Facebook pages.  It has actually inspired me to get back into tattooing.  Now I work at a shop 3 days a week in NJ called Immortal Ink.  Get a Souls tattoo by yours truly!  (shameless plug: www.bryankienlen.com sorry!)

What’s the one thing in 2010 that you are looking forward to most?

Bryan Kienlen: Expanding personally on every level.

What are the three songs in your ipod that you think people would find shocking?

Bryan Kienlen: I don’t know if there’s anything I have that would be shocking.  That is to say that I listen to a very wide variety of stuff.  I really enjoy listening to Ennio Morricone.  There’s a CD called The Legendary Westerns of Ennio Morricone”.  He did the soundtracks to Sergio Leone’s classic “spaghetti westerns” like “Fist Full of Dollars”.  Lately I’ve been pretty obsessed with Slayer too.  But guess that’s not shocking, sorry!  I really dig David Allen Coe, and old outlaw country, (Willie, Johnny, Waylon, etc) it’s my dad’s music.  It’s not punk to like your dad’s music or to like old country haha!  Fuck rules anyway.

I love punk, good metal, (Slayer), classic rock, I dig oldschool hip-hop, I’m all over the place.

After all these years how do you stay sane on the road?

Bryan Kienlen: I arrived at a point where anywhere I am at any given moment really feels about the same to me.  I look for the beauty and fun-potential wherever I am.   I know it sounds like a cliché but life really is short and flying right by, so I try to live the shit out of it as much as possible.  I like to travel and to be in different situations and forms of energy, maybe it helps to prevent stagnation even if it’s just mental or emotional stagnation.

Craziest punk rock moment…I’m sure you’ve had a few?

Bryan Kienlen: I’ve been a complete menace over the last 20+ years for sure.  Unfortunately those golden moments of total recklessness are all but lost to time, my memory of them is shot thanks to whatever I may have been drinking, smoking and/or sniffing that night.  I’ve led a colorful life to be sure, the problem is that most of the craziest memories aren’t much more than flashes in a fog to me haha.  It’s about being there anyway, about the moment.  Maybe you’ll be there to catch the next one!

Check out the Bouncing Souls on tour now:

04.15.10 – Munich, D
04.16.10 – Leipzig, D
04.17.10 – Kapfenberg, A
04.18.10 – Zurich, CH
04.19.10 – Freiburg, D
04.21.10 – Bochum, D
04.22.10 – Bremen, D
04.23.10 – Paris, F
04.24.10 – Meerhout, D
04.25.10 – Saarbrucken, D
04.26.10 – Hamburg, D
04.27.10 – Berlin, D
04.29.10 – Rotterdam, NL
04.30.10 – Venlo, NL
05.02.10 – Athens, GR
06.25.10 – Los Angeles, CA
06.26.10 – San Francisco, CA
06.27.10 – Ventura, CA
06.29.10 – Phoenix, AZ
06.30.10 – Las Crues, NM
07.01.10 – San Antonio, TX
07.02.10 – Houston, TX
07.03.10 – Dallas, TX
07.05.10 – St. Louis, MO
07.06.10 – Indianapolis, IN
07.07.10 – Pittsburgh, PA
07.08.10 – Cleveland, OH
07.09.10 – Toronto, ON
07.10.10 – Montreal, QC
07.11.10 – Hartord, CT
07.13.10 – Boston, MA
07.14.10 – Buffalo, NY
07.15.10 – Scranton, PA
07.16.10 – Philadelphia, PA

Interview by Barbie Brady, Photos by Mike McLaughlin

Inked-up and sleeved-out were de rigueur at Tattoo Hollywood, the first annual tattoo convention held in the heart of LA, at Hollywood’s Renaissance Hotel on August 21^st-23^rd. Freaks hadn’t gathered in this capacity since the Inkslingers Ball in 2006; where tattoos have no stigma, carry no stereotypes, nor make you different from the rest of the crowd. It was a meeting of artists and patrons, both equally passionate about artistic expressions and individuality.

Over 200 booths were set up, with tattoo artists representing New York, Missouri, Ohio, Florida and most of California, to name a few. Most had their portfolios displayed, showcasing photographs of their best projects. Many artists were at work, setting needle to skin at make-shift benches for eager clients. According to Chris from Daddyo’s Electric Tattooing in Centralia, IL, artists come to conventions not only to market their shop, but to hold court, some having celebrity status among ink-seekers. Clients will go to a convention to acquire a tattoo from a notable artist they might not have been able to come in contact with otherwise.

After reviewing hundreds of books and images at the show…there were definitely some superstars that stood out for me:

The Purist:

Johnny 2/3

Yer Cheat’n Heart Tattoo

Gardena, CA

“This is the way tattoos are supposed to look, “declares Johnny 2/3, when I asked him why his uber-traditional style has enjoyed such a long popularity. Influenced by the American tattoo artist, Sailor Jerry (basically the creator of rockabilly cool, who came BEFORE Ed Hardy), Johnny’s style is a pristine representation of all the best of traditional tattooing: Bold, crisp colors, strong lines, and traditional American images (hula girls, naval imagery, booze, sparrows, birds of prey and scrolled banners). His pieces are composed beautifully, with witty backgrounds and in-fill, rope lettering and thematic continuity. This creates homage to tradition, and insures that your tattoos won’t look like a bunch of un-related stickers stuck on the back of your Trapper Keeper.

The Dreamer:

Alex Garcia

The Dolorosa Tattoo Company

Studio City, CA

Alex has the soul of an artist; he’s unassuming and shy. His original artwork is scandalously enchanting: gothic, morbid and other-worldly. In the vein of the low-brow king of pink puppy dogs and non-sequitor meat, Mark Ryden, Alex has mostly kept his art and tattooing worlds separate. But, as more are turning on to his style, clients are asking for tattoos that reflect his signature. One of his favorites, as he quietly shows me in his book, is of a little girl fixing her hair in a mirror; a hairdryer reflecting back as a pistol.

Artistas Callejeros:

Bobby Serna, et al

Ink Slingers Studio

Alhambra, CA

I was kind of afraid of these guys. On outward appearance alone, they could be Latino gang-bangers. But, the closer you get, the more you wanted to give a hug. Their caramel colored skin was covered with lovingly delicate portraits of friends, family, little ones, abuelos in the military, or religious iconography. And, working only in black and grey, Bobby’s work has miraculous depth and shading! What lent itself to the overall squeezability of the group even more was one of the artists cradling his very new baby daughter next to her pink stroller. And, I was at first struck by the amount of Benjamin Franklin portraits. Are these guys history buffs? No, idiot. It’s “the benjamins.”

The Spiritualist:

Jaime Santos

Scarab Body Arts

Syracuse, NY

Tattoos have meaning, they are profound. And, being one of the few women tattoo artists at the show, Jamie easily translates this through her work. “I think that people come to me because I understand their search for meaning. I understand that they have something to say with these images.” And, she does this joyously! She shows me a bottle of hot, neon pink ink. “I love this stuff. It’s my favorite.” Sea creatures intertwined flowers, ice cream and candy. Beautifully electric colors. And, an occasional green girl zombie.

Words by Sailorbeware, photos by Curious Josh

Sam McTrusty looks nauseous. He’s about to commit an act that is essentially irreversible and permanent. The lead singer for rock band Twin Atlantic has burned a lot of brain cells contemplating this tattoo and the final verdict…a triangle. That’s right, one solitary triangle on the wrist. Its entirely loaded with meaning, and yet a basic shape that every child 2 and up can identify.

And that’s the beauty and the art of the tattoo. At its best it should mean the most to the one who wears it. Its so personal as a form of expression that it should be thought through and slept on for many many moons. Sam wanted to remember this place and time, and the triangle is a powerful symbol throughout history. It stands for the symbol for god, or the trinity, for power, danger, math, astrology and so much more. Those three little lines are loaded.

Let’s see what Sam has to say about it….

Words by Barbie Brady, photos by Sidney McMullen, Video by Moving Images

The truest way to set a memory is to mix it with a little of both pleasure and pain. Scottish rock band, Twin Atlantic, broke virgin skin in the service of remembering their time recording in Los Angeles. For singer Sam, and drummer Craig, it was their very first tattoo. Bass player Ross already has a few mementos of his own from previous encounters with inkslingers abroad. While Guitarist, Barry, just watched it all unfold.

You never forget your first tattoo. I got mine by a guy named Jimmy Roach on his kitchen table. I remember exactly how it felt, how I felt, who held my hand and how much it cost. It frames that day perfectly in my mind for always. Even though I now have countless tattoos, the first will always belong to Jimmy, and its now part of my DNA.

The location for this particular de-flowering was The Tattoo Lounge on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista CA. Owned by Swag and Patti, this shop has been voted one of the top 10 places to get tattooed in Los Angeles. Artist, John Saletra handled the first timers with skill and kindness. As the fear and anticipation filled the room we caught it all on tape.

Words by Barbie Brady, Photos by Sidney McMullen, Video shot by Moving Images

From left to right: Kevin Starr, Jake "The Preacher" Cavaliere, John "Big Drag" Saletra, Johnny "Stiggs" Devilla, not pictured Shawn "Sonic" Medina

Named for the infamous speedway immortalized in the Rolling Stones concert film, Gimme Shelter, the Lords of Altamont evoke the feeling of psychedelic influenced, 60’s, biker culture. Their collective black hair, skinny jeans, fitted tees and obligatory tattoos unify them as an old school punk rock band. Personally, I appreciate the effort. Their attitudes and attire are more reminiscent of the Steve McQueens of the motorcycle movie world, than say, the Peter Fondas.

4 out of 5 members of the band are at Studio 9 in Hollywood tonight laying down tracks for their new EP. Jake “The Preacher” Cavaliere admits that he’s the wrangler of the band. “I always try to keep it interesting. It’s not like we’re kids. We just want to be able to sustain a lifestyle that allows us to keep making music and possibly pay our bills.”

The rumble of vintage amplifiers, effects, heavy beats in 4/4 time permeate their latest effort. The mood is fearless. When you love music like these guys, and live in that intensity its all about the sound. The lyrics? Not so much.

The most ingratiating thing about the Lords of Altamont is that in this all-access, downloadable, genre within a genre world, they continue to just make honest rock n’ roll. Get a little of it in you Friday, March 27th, at Vertigos, 801 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA.

Words & photos by Barbie Brady

The Lords of Altamont – Split

http://www.myspace.com/lordsofaltamont