Opening Up: Body Modification Interviews 1995–2008 by Shannon Larratt is an oral-history anthology drawn from his pioneering BMEzine work. Over thirteen years, Larratt sat down with a diverse cast of practitioners, enthusiasts, and researchers—from early tattoo and piercing innovators to avant-garde implant artists and ritual scarifiers. Each interview intertwines personal narrative with technical detail, revealing why individuals choose to reshape their bodies and how those choices intersect with identity, community, and spirituality. Readers journey through shifting aesthetics and social attitudes: what once was hidden in underground studios becomes part of a growing cultural dialogue. By preserving these firsthand accounts exactly as they were published, Larratt offers an invaluable snapshot of body modification’s evolution—mapping its milestones, controversies, and the human stories at its core.
