I've recently begun to read Slaughterhouse-Five, so when it came time to think of a subject for this post, Kurt Vonnegut came to mind before anyone (or anything) else. As these posts don't have much order other than what comes to mind at the time, I decided to name Kurt Vonnegut the official honorary subject of this post. Huzzah!
If you're a Vonnegut fan, or even if you're not but you've read Slaughterhouse-Five, you're well aware that the most distinctive sentence from the book is "So it goes." I mean, it only appears 106 times...only. In relation to this blog, those numbers mean that the most common Kurt Vonnegut tattoo is the quote, "So it goes."
Instead of including the common depictions of the quote, I decided to pick some of my favorites. Most of the tattoos I've seen use the same typewriter-esque font from the book and that is all. Sometimes, simplicity is key. I am in no way saying that I do not like those tattoos. Rather, I think they are too common and too simple to include in this post, so instead, I've included some deviations from the norm. All the tattoos can be found here.
If you're a Vonnegut fan, or even if you're not but you've read Slaughterhouse-Five, you're well aware that the most distinctive sentence from the book is "So it goes." I mean, it only appears 106 times...only. In relation to this blog, those numbers mean that the most common Kurt Vonnegut tattoo is the quote, "So it goes."
Instead of including the common depictions of the quote, I decided to pick some of my favorites. Most of the tattoos I've seen use the same typewriter-esque font from the book and that is all. Sometimes, simplicity is key. I am in no way saying that I do not like those tattoos. Rather, I think they are too common and too simple to include in this post, so instead, I've included some deviations from the norm. All the tattoos can be found here.
While white ink tattoos are often loved or hated in the tattoo community, I tend to like them, depending on the subject of the tattoo. Here, I think it works well because to me, "So it goes" has more for the owner of the tattoo simply because it exists and not because other people can see it. "So it goes" is a very concise way of saying, "---- happens, life goes on, get over it and move on." Thus, it makes sense that many of the owners of these tattoos get them as a reminder to themselves not to "sweat the small stuff," as they say. (Who are they, anyway?)
I love the incorporation of the "Tralfamadorian as described in Slaughterhouse-Five." (Quote from Arija, the owner of this tattoo). The font, though different from the usual font used for this tattoo, works well because the incorporation of the Tralfamadorian is different, too.
The final tattoo in this trio originally struck me because it looks very elegant. Then, as I thought about it, I realized the beauty of the placement. Every day, the owner of this tattoo will look down on her arm and be greeted by the lovely meaning of "So it goes." Tattoos that have symbolism, such as this one, are made even better when they are in the direct sight of the owner and when the symbolism is hidden behind such elegant simplicity.
Now that I've made a few points of my own, what do you think of the "So it goes" tattoos? Leave a comment and let me know!
If you know anything else about these tattoos, their owner, their artists, or if you have any questions, please visit the contact link at the top of the page and send me an email!
As always, remember - ink tells stories on skin as much as it does in books!
Kayla
Now that I've made a few points of my own, what do you think of the "So it goes" tattoos? Leave a comment and let me know!
If you know anything else about these tattoos, their owner, their artists, or if you have any questions, please visit the contact link at the top of the page and send me an email!
As always, remember - ink tells stories on skin as much as it does in books!
Kayla