skin
Mel read about something cool, then had the nerve (the nerve!) to
share it with us, when she knows darn well that it would be a call-to-action for me. Like I don't have enough to think about!
Skin is a story written by
Shelley Jackson, the text for which will be presented—one word at a time—via tattoo on the skin of 2095 participants (subsequently referred to as "words"). She calls it a
mortal work of art. I think it's fascinating, and of course (no surprise to Mel) I wrote and asked to be considered for word-hood. Being late to the game (the original call for participants was almost a year ago, and she already had 85% of the words doled out a month ago), I doubt I'll make it in. But I tried.
I have twelve tattoos, all of which are meaningful (some more than others) and some are also words. I have a wristband with the Chinese character for "water" in it. I also have one that is a rune sequence of isa-laguz-jera, which is essentially (my interpretation) "chill out, let things happen, everything's gonna work itself out". But in a story of 2095 words, you're going to have a lot of articles. Would I
want to be an article? Not especially, but I'd do it. I don't think I particularly exude "the"-ness, though.
According to the rules of the project, you can refuse the word assigned to you, but you don't get another one. I would refuse any of the FCC's original "filthy words" (shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits...oh boy, I'll get the search hits now!) and probably some non-banned but not-for-polite-company words, which I'd figure out on a case-by-case basis. Not that I don't use these words in real life, because I sure do (except for the c-word. I never use the c-word unless the person really, really is one)...I just wouldn't want to
be that word. Also, a word with punctuation, such as "
pen?" would be fine by me.
Heck, I even have the place picked out, regardless of the word (should I get one, which I probably won't). I have an unbalanced set of tattoos on my calves. The back of each calf has symmetrical tribal thingies (I refer to them as "racing stripes" although I am terribly slow), but I have a horizontal tat on the outside of my left calf, almost near my knee, while the other leg is blank in that area. I tend to balance my tattoos, not at the same time but eventually. I have two wristbands, two forearm tattoos, etc. I attribute the asshole behavior of my early 20s to my lack of balanced tattoos. My dear friend Barkarby would probably jump in immediately and say "and what about your asshole behavior now?" but this is one of those times when I'm glad she rarely posts comments. :)
