Blogging Woolf

This Bloomsbury 2010 tattoo is temporary.

Earlier this year, U.S. publisher Black Ocean said it would give a lifetime subscription – one copy of every book it produces – as a thank you to anyone who gets a tattoo inspired by a Black Ocean title.

“Just send us a picture of you getting your tattoo (so we know it’s not simply a magic marker), or find one of us in person and expose yourself to us (with fair warning),” the publisher’s blog cheerily offers.

Several readers obliged, sending photos of their tattoos inspired by The Man Suit, a book of poetry by Zachary Schomburg.

When it comes to tattoos, Woolf is no slacker.

According to Inside Higher Ed’s article “Unafraid of Virginia Woolf,” three young women recently acquired tattoos in honor of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. All three featured the words “Fear no more,” famous words quoted from Shakespeare in Mrs. D.

While literary tattoos aren’t strictly an American phenomenon, The Guardian reported that in Clerkenwell London, the request for a literary tattoo is more likely to be for a quote from T.S. Eliot.

Editor’s Note: Read the comment below to learn about Amy Whipple’s Woolf tattoos. She blogs at http://www.amywhipple.com/.