Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

Preface to the First Edition
xxiv Preface
Frank. Patti. Don. Bill. Bob. Peter. P. J., Flo and the rest of the
folks at the National Tattoo Association. Butch, Dana, Ed, and ·all
of the other colorful members of the tattoo community I have had
the pleasure of knowing. I especially appreciate the faith shown by
Janet Francendese. Senior Acquisitions Editor at Temple University
Press. She was willing to take the chance rather than Simply
sending me the standard letter telling me that it was all very "interesting"
but did not "fit into our publishing program at this
time." I am also grateful to Charles de Kay of Temple University
Press for his consistent expressions of support and his careful editing.
Shotsie Gorman's sage adVice, consistent tolerance, and extensive
knowledge played a major role in shaping this book. His
unique artistic skills have transformed my body and his warm
friendship has touched my heart.
Finally, I offer my deepest thanks to Eleanor Lyon. Throughout
the course of this project her enthusiasm in talking about the research,
her willingness to read what I wrote, and her ability to
prOVide gentle criticism were immeasurably helpful in tightening
the conceptualization and smoothing the style. I could not ask for
a better colleague or partner.
Portions of this book are adapted from preViously published articles:
"Marks of Mischief: Becoming and Being Tattooed," Journal oj
Contemporary Ethnography 16 (January 1988): 395-432, with
the permission of Sage Publications.
"Tattoo Consumption: Risk and Regret in the Purchase of a Socially
Marginal SerVice," from Elizabeth Hirschman and Morris
Holbrook, eds., Advances in Consumer Research. Vol. XII (New
York: Association for Consumer Research, 1985), pp. 17-22, with
the permission of the Association for Consumer Research.
"Organizational Constraints on Tattoo Images: A SOCiological
Analysis of Artistic Style," from Ian Hodder, ed.. The Meaning oj
Things: Material Culture and Symbolic Expression (London:
Allen and Unwin, 1988), with the permission of Unwin, Hyman.