There are books out there, some shelved unwittingly next to ordinary texts, that are bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand?
Megan Rosenbloom is a medical librarian who studies the history of medicine and rare books. Formerly a journalist, she now serves as associate director for Instruction Services at the Norris Medical Library of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She is also the obituary editor of the Journal of the Medical Library Association and serves on the board of the George Dock Society for the History of Medicine. She is also the cofounder and director of the Death Salon, the event arm of the Order of the Good Death, and is a leader in the Death Positive movement.
Winner of the 2021 Best Monograph Award from LAMPHHS (Librarians,
Archivists, & Museum Professionals in the History of the Health
Sciences) "Part scholar, part journalist, part wide-eyed death
enthusiast, Rosenbloom takes readers on her own journey to
understand how and why human-skin books came to be . . . She
includes no shortage of memorable scientific minutiae and
clarifications of misunderstood history along the way." --James
Hamblin, The New York Times Book Review "Driven by an engine of
curiosity, Rosenbloom moves through history at a brisk pace,
bookending each chapter with excellent hooks and cliff hangers, all
of which makes for propulsive reading . . . A species of reparative
writing, Dark Archives excavates the hidden stories stitched into
the binding of anthropodermic books and, in doing so, restores some
humanity to victims of medical exploitation. Delightful and
propulsive, Rosenbloom's measured balance of bloody thrills with
historical fact and ethical nuance makes Dark Archives a
titillating Halloween read." --Connor Goodwin, NPR "With sincere
curiosity and clear-eyed analysis, Rosenbloom, a librarian at UCLA
with a specialty in the history of medicine, unfurls the stories of
the binders of the skins and their previous inhabitants . . . The
result of Rosenbloom's probing travelogues, lively histories and
deep study of book stewardship is an incongruously bright-eyed view
of a subject that, in the hands of another scholar, might be either
plodding or gruesomely sensationalistic. The true story of how
people became books is surprisingly intersectional, touching on
gender, race, socioeconomics and the Western medical
establishment's colonialist mindset." --Leslie Pariseau, LA Times
"Against all odds, a delight . . . Regardless of how wacky or
tragic any particular book's journey has been, Rosenbloom
approaches them all with such good humor, solid science, and
unerring respect for the dead that Dark Archives manages to be
life-affirming amidst all the ethical debate and stinky tannery
mishaps. Dark? Always. Gross? Sometimes." --Emma Grey Ellis, Wired
"[Dark Archives] begins as a quest for the fascinating and
forbidden: the reader is invited to share the thrill of pursuit,
and of the moment when the sinister and legendary provenance of a
book is scientifically verified. But as the histories of these
books unfold, the focus necessarily shifts from their creators and
possessors to the lives of those who supplied the skin." --Mike
Jay, The New York Review of Books "The most interesting and
unsettling text of recent times . . . Written with the pace of a
detective thriller." --New Statesman
"What begins as an investigation into fascinatingly macabre volumes
becomes a reflection on medical ethics, consent and mortality."
--The Economist "Readers who relish the 'dark academia' vibes of
Donna Tartt's The Secret History or the historical medical accuracy
of The Knick will love spending time in Rosenbloom's company,
though the book holds broader appeal as well . . . Dark Archives
shifts the reader's morbid gaze from the bizarre physical objects
to the societies that created them and the lessons they can
impart--if we're only brave enough to take a closer look . . .
[Rosenbloom's] work attaches names and experiences to objects that
would otherwise remain grotesque curiosities . . . Dark Archives
relays these stories with care, connecting names and histories with
the relics left behind." --Christine Jacobson, Los Angeles Review
of Books "An engaging chronicle of a shadowy aspect of clinical
medicine . . . Megan Rosenbloom is the ideal guide to
anthropodermic bibliopegy--binding books in human skin . . .
Despite the grisly nature of the proceedings, Dark Archives
succeeds precisely because Rosenbloom respects the books for their
research value as well as the people whose skin was used to bind
them, often without their consent." --Frank Brasile, Shelf
Awareness "As Rosenbloom crisscrosses the globe to confirm the
purported origins of skin-bound books--a cracking detective story
in itself--her journey offers unusual insight into what defines
informed consent, what separates homage from exploitation, and how
power disparities can breed casual inhumanity." --Elizabeth
Svoboda, Undark "Meticulously researched and ceaselessly
fascinating . . . Rosenbloom, being an affable and magnetic
narrator, takes readers on a journey from libraries to museums and
private collectors . . . Dark Archives deftly ties the macabre
together with the educational and amusing and is the perfect
post-Halloween read for a curious Angeleno." --Jonathan Peltz, LA
Taco "How do you sum up a brilliant writer, an intensely unique and
intriguing subject matter, and one of the coolest, most
thrillingly-researched books you've ever read... in a way that
isn't massively hyperbolic or, conversely, somehow doesn't do any
of it enough justice? . . . [Rosenbloom] doesn't just detail these
books, or the collectors, or the people who created them; she
passionately and humanely explores the people they used to be . . .
Come for the weird books facts, stay for the unexpected and
powerful human questions." --S. Elizabeth, Haute Macabre
"Reminiscent of Mary Roach, Rosenbloom's tone is inquisitive and,
at turns, morbidly funny and deeply contemplative . . . Rosenbloom
sustains Dark Archives with thought-provoking accounts . . .
presenting various histories and perspectives with respect,
sensibility and, yes, humour . . . We can revel with a morbid gaze
at the strangeness of anthropodermic books, but Rosenbloom's
investigation forces readers to reflect on our own relationship to
medicine and exploitation of the dead." --Marisa Mercurio, Sublime
Horror "[Rosenbloom's] investigation into the past reveals much
about the history of medicine . . . Wide-ranging, engagingly
written, and unusual . . . [Dark Archives] will fascinate those
interested in a new angle from which to consider what it means to
be human and what our responsibilities are to other people . . .
Essential." --Stephanie Klose, Library Journal (starred review)
"Fascinating . . . Rosenbloom's conversational tone and obvious
excitement at the thrill of the chase counterbalances the macabre
nature of her subject . . . Lighter moments, such as a visit to an
artisanal tanning facility that results in the destruction of
Rosenbloom's Keds, make her obsession with the sometimes gruesome
stories behind these books relatable. This unique and
well-researched account shines an intriguing light on a hidden
corner of the rare books world." --Publishers Weekly "This
intriguing intersection of history, science, and the macabre stems
from Rosenbloom's work as a researcher for The Anthropodermic Book
Project, a team dedicated to investigating books bound in human
skin. She digs deep into the origin story of these morbid artifacts
. . . A unique conversation about consent, medical ethics, and
legalities . . . Rosenbloom's passion for the topic is infused in
each page, making for a captivating read." --Michelle Ross,
Booklist "Profoundly odd, wholly original, and utterly engrossing!
If there were a Pulitzer for the category 'who knew?, ' Ms.
Rosenbloom's Dark Archives would win it hands down." --Erik Larson,
author of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family,
and Defiance During the Blitz "Dark Archives is a gorgeous dive
into the humanity and inhumanity of the people behind (and on)
these strangely captivating books. Propelled by curiosity and
bibliophilia, Rosenbloom travels far and wide and deep within,
taking us to unimaginable places. This is a masterful work,
enlightened and enlivened by Rosenbloom's scholarship and her
involvement with the death positive movement. If there were a word
for the perfect pairing of author and subject and the giddy joy
that pairing brings to the reader, I'd be using it right now."
--Mary Roach, author of Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War
"An international treasure hunt, fascinating medical history, high
level PR nightmare, and heartrending account of the real people
whose flesh was turned into curiosities by the medical
professionals they trusted." --Caitlin Doughty, author of Will My
Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions About Death "Megan Rosenbloom
is the perfect guide to a dark and sinister world populated by
Victorian criminals, bodysnatchers, and dissectors--all of whom
contributed to the gruesome art of binding books with human skin."
--Lindsey Fitzharris, author of The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's
Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine
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