skip to main | skip to sidebar

The Virtual World

Poetry, the imagination, and the creative life.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Anthropodermic Bibliopegy?

An idea for your next book cover? if you ask me, this was a really creepy story . . .

While binding books in human skin is not common, it is not unusual, says Mr Rouse. The practice is known as anthropodermic bibliopegy and seems to have been most popular during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the first books covered in human skin were medical books – the skins were primarily from amputated body parts and unclaimed corpses. Occasionally, as in the case of Cudmore, the skin of executed prisoners was used. “It sounds grim but if I gave you the book to hold and didn’t tell you what it was covered in you would never know, it just looks like normal leather,” said Mr Rouse.
Posted by Peter at 2:57 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

1 comment:

T. said...

Uh, no. Reminds me of the Project Runway contestant (Chris?) who used human hair on his garments.

February 28, 2011 9:28 AM

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Prufrock: a decompostition
    you and I spread out against the sky half-deserted shells What is it? our visit. a talking angel yellow fog there will be time to prepare a ...
  • Juvenile Onset Diabetes
    One of my nieces is in the ICU at Children's Hospital with newly diagnosed Juvenile Onset Diabetes. My sister says her kid had been losi...
  • Blog Anagrams
    This was just too silly and fun, I had to share it (and please nobody be offended: it's just the letters talking.) : Asleep Inside an Ol...
  • Poetry on NPR
    This morning there was an interesting story about Poetry magazine and its Ruth Lily endowment, on NPR's Weekend edition. One of the iss...
  • (no title)
    Dean is in the hospital. Just a minor scare with his heart. All the tests are normal so far. I'm sure he'll be fine and go home to...
  • (no title)
    Ravenna at Dusk Today when I looked in the mirror I saw my father looking back. I like walking alone at night. One can be happy not only wit...
  • What the Skin Cutter Feels
    And now for something a little more serious . . . Some people, because of past trauma or abuse, turn to cutting on themselves. The wounds...
  • Glenna Luschei Award
    Some wonderful news in the mail today. Prairie Schooner has selected my group of poems published in the Winter 2004 issue as the winner of t...
  • Twitterku?
    Definition (from Wikipedia ) A form of poetry using the 140 character limitation of Twitter, with a four-line, AABB rhyme scheme, with at le...
  • Officially Middle-aged
    Well, today is the big "46." I guess I am now offically middle-aged. It's been a quiet day so far: while Dean was at work, I...

Some Poems Online

  • "Magnolia Blossom"
  • Body Talk
  • Crossing the Pear
  • "Wordsword" "Adagio"
  • "Twenty Years After His Passing, My Father Appears . . ."
  • "Think or Swim"
  • "The Cruciverbalist"
  • "Reconsidering the Seven"
  • "October Journal"
  • "Nursemaid's Elbow"
  • "Lost in Translation"
  • "Holy Shit"
  • "Her Name is Rose"
  • "Fugue"
  • "Anagrammer" (video)
  • "Anagrammer"
  • "After the Pillow Book"

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (15)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (3)
  • ►  2012 (44)
    • ►  December (4)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (4)
    • ►  September (3)
    • ►  August (4)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (6)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ▼  2011 (96)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (6)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  September (8)
    • ►  August (7)
    • ►  July (8)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (9)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ▼  February (13)
      • Anthropodermic Bibliopegy?
      • Terrific brief talk from Claudia Mauro about how p...
      • Robot Wins Jeopardy, But Can It Write Poetry?
      • Poetry: The Movie
      • The "Real" Welfare Queens?
      • I thought this was a thoughtful post from Sandra B...
      • Love this poem from today's Poem a Day. It gives n...
      • A Russian Ballet group is in town tonight, and wil...
      • Dirty Bitches Show
      • I've been watching the events unfolding In Egypt, ...
      • Wow, great news for Chase, and Atsuro.Chase Twiche...
      • Poetry, Painting to Earn an MD
      • Adonis in a thong?
    • ►  January (10)
  • ►  2010 (121)
    • ►  December (12)
    • ►  November (7)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (10)
    • ►  June (9)
    • ►  May (14)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (8)
    • ►  January (12)
  • ►  2009 (147)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (8)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (5)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (10)
    • ►  June (9)
    • ►  May (20)
    • ►  April (20)
    • ►  March (14)
    • ►  February (19)
    • ►  January (18)
  • ►  2008 (246)
    • ►  December (22)
    • ►  November (16)
    • ►  October (27)
    • ►  September (22)
    • ►  August (27)
    • ►  July (25)
    • ►  June (28)
    • ►  May (23)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (21)
    • ►  February (12)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2007 (340)
    • ►  December (20)
    • ►  November (26)
    • ►  October (38)
    • ►  September (24)
    • ►  August (24)
    • ►  July (35)
    • ►  June (31)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (30)
    • ►  March (30)
    • ►  February (25)
    • ►  January (30)
  • ►  2006 (421)
    • ►  December (30)
    • ►  November (28)
    • ►  October (38)
    • ►  September (34)
    • ►  August (41)
    • ►  July (37)
    • ►  June (35)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (47)
    • ►  March (34)
    • ►  February (34)
    • ►  January (36)
  • ►  2005 (414)
    • ►  December (41)
    • ►  November (36)
    • ►  October (45)
    • ►  September (32)
    • ►  August (42)
    • ►  July (37)
    • ►  June (33)
    • ►  May (39)
    • ►  April (30)
    • ►  March (35)
    • ►  February (25)
    • ►  January (19)
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poetry can communicate before it is understood. ~T. S. Eliot

*


Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. ~ Plato

*


A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep. ~ Salman Rushdie

*


Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~ Novalis

*


Poetry is what maintains our capacity for contemplation and difficulty. — Carolyn Forche

*


Poetry must have something in it that is barbaric, vast and wild. — Denis Diderot

*


Sometimes something wants to be said, sometimes a way of saying wants to be used. — Paul ValĂ©ry

*