This episode is sponsored by Eternal Inc and Tattoo Smart.

Thank you for joining me for another episode of Books Closed. I am Andrew Stortz, and I am back to

guide you through another hard-hitting discussion about the world of tattooing. I mean, I don't know

if the show is actually hard-hitting very often, but it sounded like a pretty snappy way to kick this

episode off. Before we start, though, I want to remind everyone

that I've got a voicemail line for the show that you are welcome to call anytime and leave a

message with your thoughts, ideas, reactions to things you've heard on the show, etc. The number is

857-444-0662. I've gotten a handful of great messages from some of you, and I'm going to start

integrating those into the show, so please keep them coming. I promise that no one's going to pick up

the line when you call and make things weird, so don't worry about that. It's just a voicemail line.

I just want to open up these discussions to all of you and hear your thoughts as well.

Because it's weird when I'm just talking to myself through this little microphone.

Anyway, the tattoo world had some mainstream controversy over the past week or two.

Tattooer and former Inkmaster Judge Oliver Peck had some old photos surface of him wearing various black face Halloween costumes.

They were met with very critical response for many, and it opened up larger conversations about racism, accountability, sexual assault, etc.

And all these things within tattooing and outside of tattooing.

How do we feel about it? How does it affect us? This episode has some segments that were filmed

months ago, and one of them was filmed almost a year ago now. And although we aren't addressing

directly these more current events this week, I think many facets of those larger conversations that were started can certainly be found here.

So let's start off by talking to tattooer Tamara Santibanias.

And referring to her just as a tattooer is leaving out a lot of the other things she does,

including great art outside of her tattoo work, writing, publishing, advocating, etc.

...