a few days ago i gave my partner lauren her first knuckle tattoos. the tattoos are simple symbols i drew to represent six key principles to writing delivered to the world by italo calvino over a series of six essays. i found the book “six memos for the next millenium” in the trade box at sticky and over winter me and lauren traded it back and forth discussing the qualities: “quickness” “lightness” “multiplicity” consistency” “visibilty” and “exactitude”. it was his last published work, he died before he finished the essay on consistency. it is a beautiful book and more than just ideas on how to write, it is histories of important thought and expression according italo. it works in terms of when thinking: “what way should i livez now?”
the symbols will look as if they are tattooed upside down to you but that is beacuse lauren wanted them to be arranged for her viewing and not the viewing of others.
here is a link to a free version of the book online: http://anemonehaze.com/assets/2008/1/13/interior.pdf
(photo creditz: elliott lauren desertchorus.wordpress.com)
