Stories in the Flesh

The tattooed body invites interpretation. To become tattooed is to be both an object and a subject actively writing to from and in collaboration with culture around a host of body-related issues. To personal narratives add social definitions of gender ethnicity and class; interpellation of citizens criminals and soldiers; immigrant nostalgia and community building; and desires for artistic expression. In conjunction with field research Dr. Christine Braunberger examines historical literary and popular texts through theories of subjectivity identification transgression and performance. First appearing in the National Women''s Studies Association Journal chapter five-Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women- has been a frequent contributor to contemporary debates concerning the role of the imagination in shaping the body. Other chapters first appeared in The Columbia Journal of American Studies and Genders. These explorations and more are gathered for the first time in this book along with a new chapter contextualizing the work of storied tattoo artist Shanghai Kate.