5 YEARS

Well, it has been 5 years since this book has been published and I have bee notified that the book is entering yet another printing. I want to thank everyone who has purchased this book, either in paperback or electronically - thank you! I hope you have enjoyed the work. If you know someone who is interested in obtaining a copy, please contact E-Booktime, Amazon, or Barnes & Nobel.

1 1/2 Years and Counting

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 2 years since Tattoos: The Stories Behind the Ink was published. Thanks to all of you who have purchased and read the book; I hope you enjoyed it. Since the release, I have received some additional photos and stories from folks who wanted to share a part of their lives. So, could there be another book in the future? What do you think? An alternative would be to publish the stories and photos here, on this blog; but I am not sure if there is a following out there. I would appreciate your input. Thanks!

Geoffrey

Blog Moved

On October 9, 2008 I moved this blog from AOL Journals to Blogger Spot. Hopefully many more people will be able to find it and read it. The book continues to sell, several copies each month. Last week I actually ran into someone reading the book at a local restaurant and we got into a conversation about it. She promised to post a message on this site when she finished reading it.

Independent Review

Article published Apr 15, 2007

Tales behind the tats
Battles Museum's history buff takes his research in an unlikely direction: 'Tattoos: The Stories Behind the Ink'

By DAN MOREY
Contributing writer

Geoffrey L. Domowicz has served as administrator of the Battles Museum of Rural Life in Girard, lectured extensively on the Civil War and written Arcadia Publishing's "Girard, A Canal Town History."

But who would have guessed this mild-mannered history buff would one day produce a book on that most un-Victorian of pastimes -- tattooing?

While researching "Tattoos: The Stories Behind the Ink" (E-Book Time, $14.95), Domowicz interviewed people from all walks of life: secretaries, marines, students, housewives, strippers. He never says where exactly he conducted his more exotic tête-à-têtes, but he does admit to fishing for subjects in one particularly seedy milieu -- the Internet.

Here he had no trouble finding men and women willing to display and talk at length about their body art, which most of them consider a form of creative self-expression rather than purchased decoration -- an assertion that really only makes sense if they're tattooing themselves.

But this is the Internet, after all, where millions of people express themselves by barfing up the intimate minutiae of their lives in semi-literate blogs. Why should it come as any surprise that the same people are slobbering to exhibit their bodies as well, some going so far as to send Domowicz unsolicited nude photos?

In a culture where everyone thinks their lives are inherently interesting, where we go out of our way to flaunt our perceived uniqueness and where MySpace and YouTube have fulfilled Andy Warhol's prophesy (in the time it has taken you to drink your morning coffee, a hundred of us have posted videos, claiming our 15 minutes), none of this is out of the ordinary.

"Listen to me!" we beg.

"Look at me!"

And what better way to grab a little attention than with a tattoo?

A tattoo reveals "the innermost character of your true self," says Chris, a 38-year old father with his infant daughter's name inked across his back. "It identifies the type of person you are. ... It tells everyone that I am a proud Irishman who is deeply devoted to his wife and children."

A swell sentiment, to be sure, but one wonders why he feels the need to advertise it. What will his next tattoo be? A baby-seat on his forehead?

And the nonsense continues: "My tattoo represents a completion of many things," says Hannah of her goddess. "I consider myself a Jewish Witch, or a Jewitch. ... I only wish that it were lower on my shoulder." Or CJ on her "native Indian" tattoo: "The piece ... shows my strength in the eagles ... my humor with the ravens and ... my aloofness with the salmon."

After reading 200 pages of such self-absorbed symbology, I developed a sincere appreciation for the simple sailor who gets drunk on a Pacific atoll and wakes up with a hula girl on his bicep. When did the tattooed masses become so full of themselves? Probably around the time they started writing blogs.

One thing can't be denied: Tattoos are certainly art. Skin, however, makes a very poor canvas -- the artist's work must inevitably fade, wrinkle, be obscured by sagging lard and finally perish altogether, which makes photographing it while it's fresh all the more important. Unfortunately, the pictures in Domowicz's book aren't very good -- they're small, black and white, and often murky.

The stories alone, though, are worth the price. If you've ever spotted a girl at the beach with a godawful butterfly engulfing her lower torso and wondered, "Lord, what was she thinking?" you'll find your answer in "Tattoos: The Stories Behind the Ink."

-------------------------------------------------------

DAN MOREY is a freelance writer living in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania.  It was obvious to me in his review that he has a genuine bias against tattoos and this subject matter; however, even with his bias, he found some sound merit for purchasing this book.  I agree with him that the photos are small, and due to the expense of publishing, they had to be published in black and white. This is something that I wrestled with for many months before making a conscious decision.  I could have included many photos in in this book, however they would have to be in black and white or I could select 20 photos to publish in color, I choose the former to help tell the complete story.  As for the quality, I agree, some are not the best quality images; however, I again deliberately choose to include them to help further tell the story.  They say that every story has a critic --- I say every critic's opinion is just one person's viewpoint!

Customer Reviews

A reviewer, A reviewer, 02/27/2007

Must Buy

A new approach to the subject of tattoos from real people! A great read!

A reviewer, A reviewer, 02/26/2007

Wonderfully Exciting Fresh New Look

What a great, fresh, new look at a popular subject. The author did a great job capturing the real stories why people get tattooed.

 

Deeper than most tattoo books, March 15, 2007

Reviewer:

B. Dieckmann "GypsyInk" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

The author, Geoffrey L. Domowicz, chose to take a different route in this book than most I've read.

There isn't much history, or technical writing on tattoo(ing), just inverviews with many people who've chosen to be inked. Mr. Domowicz lets the people speak in their own words, while adding some insights of his own that don't overpower the interviewees.

Many people can't understand the "why" behind the decision to permanently ink a piece of art on skin. This book, through thewords of those who've chosen to be permanently marked, may be able to explain the reasons.

The reasons are many (maybe infinite), and all very interesting. Anyone contemplating a tattoo (or thinking of getting another tattoo) will find this an interesting, thought-provoking read.

 

I loved it!, March 2, 2007

Reviewer:

Rose (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

If you evered wondered why some people get tattoos, you must read this book. Many great stories and insight. Kudos to the author for taking on this challenge.

Booked picked up by other websites.

As of today, this book is available from the following:

1) Directly from the publisher at www.e-booktime.com

2) Amazon.com

3) Barnes and Noble.com

Released!!!

The following message appeared in my mailbox yesterday:

Hi Geoffrey,

We have completed adding "Tattoos: The Stories Behind the Ink" to our store. Please take a moment to look the listing over and make sure everything looks ok. You can get to our store by going to our home page  www.e-booktime.com  and clicking on the "store" tab at the top of the page. You can locate the book in our "Nonfiction/History" category as well as our special interest section where we place new books for a period of time.   It should show up in the Amazon and other online stores within the next two weeks.

Congratulations on the publication and best of luck on the sales!

Almost There!

I have been working with the publisher on the final galley; I submitted what I hope is the final changes today (1/31/07). The final cover design has been approved; it looks great!!

The book will be available on Barnes & Nobel.com, Amazon.com, and through the store at my publisher's site:

http://www.e-booktime.com

For those of you who have inquired about personalized copies, I will be purchasing some from my publisher and if you desire you can purchase your copy directly from me. 

Manuscript Submitted

On January 3, 2007 this manuscript was submitted for publication with an estimated release date of February 10, 2007.  Thank you to all who helped with this project.

Except from new book

            "On the day Hurricane Katrina made her presence known in our area, I found myself in a Hardee’s Restaurant in Jefferson, Ohio.  I was between appointments and had time to kill so I stopped for a cup of coffee.  Due to the cooler temperatures and severe rain, I found myself alone in the entire dining room, most people preferring to remain indoors for the day. I had been there for almost an hour when two women and a young child entered.  I immediately concluded that this was one family unit (mother, daughter, and grandson), which was confirmed later.  Despite having the entire restaurant to choose from, they settled on the table adjacent mine, the two women sitting furthest from me with four-year-old Tony sitting less than three feet from me.  Beautiful blonde hared little Tony did not want to eat his cinnamon biscuit or drink his milk that morning, and I could not help but smile as his young mother tried in vain to convenience little Tony to remain seated and eat his breakfast that he insisted she buy.

            Tony’s mom, Amelia Rose, apologized to me for Tony’s behavior and once again chastised Tony to leave the nice man alone.  I told her that he was fine and was no bother; after all, I had two daughters of my own.

            Naturally conversation immersed amongst us, about the weather and the rising price of gasoline in the area, and as listened to Amelia Rose in her light blue tank top and her mother Betty (short for Elizabeth Rose) I couldn’t help but notice the prominently displayed tattoo on Amelia’s right bicep.  There encircling her arm was barbed wire.  In the center, lay a small grouping of five roses measuring no longer than three inches. As Ilearned more about the women and Tony, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked Amelia about her tattoo. I wanted to know if it had any meaning behind it and why she placed it on her arm.  To my surprised, she answered my questions and more.

            Amelia’s father had a tattoo of barbed wire encircling his right bicep.  Naturally, Amelia loved her father and as a young child, she loved how he could make it move by flexing his muscle.  She fondly recalled sitting is his massive arms tracing the tattoo with her fingers for hours on end. 

            At age sixteen, Amelia got pregnant with Tony, which strained her relationship with her father to the point that stopped speaking.  They went their separate ways, with her father vowing to have nothing to do with her or his grandson. A year later her father suffered a massive heart attacked and the two reconciled shortly before his death.  His death brought mother and daughter back together, and the two comforted each other in their grief.  As a tribute to her father, Amelia decided to have the barbed wire tattooed on her arm.  The roses were added because she was the fifth generation to be named Rose after her great, great-grandmother.  She even convinced her mom to get the same tattoo, minus one rose. Now, five years later, Amelia Rose, sports a total of five tattoos -- all roses.  Each year on the anniversary of her father’s death, she has added a single rose, measuring the size of a nickel.   They now adorn her left shoulder, her outside left ankle, her right hip, and her inside right calf.  I asked her if she was continuing the tradition this year and adding another and where it might be.  She said yes, but she would not reveal the location, she only said that it would rarely be seen by anyone but herself."