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Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide
“Like the air we breathe, we take our skin for granted . . . Yet it is remarkable; it mitigates and ameliorates the sometimes harsh world we dwell in, and is at the interface of so much of what we encounter. It is our border, the edge of ourselves, the point where we meet our universe.”
Original Skin is at times a scientific study, remarking on the biological magic behind the human body’s largest organ. At others it becomes an anthropological survey, dissecting separate societies’ attitudes towards bare bodies, and the motives behind cultural rituals such as tattoos. However, Original Skin is, above all, a celebration of the human body; its tone one of absolute awe for the simultaneously protective and fragile membrane that divides us all from the world that surrounds us. Maryrose Cuskelly’s book—in its examinations of everything from tickling to Botox to books bound in human derma—is a delightful meditation on skin.
Original Skin is at times a scientific study, remarking on the biological magic behind the human body’s largest organ. At others it becomes an anthropological survey, dissecting separate societies’ attitudes towards bare bodies, and the motives behind cultural rituals such as tattoos. However, Original Skin is, above all, a celebration of the human body; its tone one of absolute awe for the simultaneously protective and fragile membrane that divides us all from the world that surrounds us. Maryrose Cuskelly’s book—in its examinations of everything from tickling to Botox to books bound in human derma—is a delightful meditation on skin.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2011
16 people want to read
About the author
Maryrose Cuskelly
6 books26 followersMaryrose Cuskelly is a writer of fiction and non-fiction.
She is the best-selling author of The Cane (Allen & Uwin 2022), shortlisted for best debut in the 2023 Davitt Awards.
In 2019, her book Wedderburn: A True Tale of Blood and Dust (Allen & Unwin, 2018), was longlisted for Best Debut and Best True Crime in the 2019 Davitt Awards.
In 2016, she was awarded the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (non-fiction) for her essay on the 1972 abduction and murder of Marilyn Wallman.
She is the author of Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide (Scribe 2010) and The End of Charity: Time for Social Enterprise (Allen & Unwin 2008) co-written with Nic Frances, and winner of the Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues.
Her essays and articles have been published in a range of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including Crikey, The Age, The Australian and The Melbourne Magazine.
She has twice been awarded fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers’ House, most recently in 2020 for her novel The Campers, which will be published by Allen & Unwin in early 2025.
She lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two sons.
She is the best-selling author of The Cane (Allen & Uwin 2022), shortlisted for best debut in the 2023 Davitt Awards.
In 2019, her book Wedderburn: A True Tale of Blood and Dust (Allen & Unwin, 2018), was longlisted for Best Debut and Best True Crime in the 2019 Davitt Awards.
In 2016, she was awarded the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (non-fiction) for her essay on the 1972 abduction and murder of Marilyn Wallman.
She is the author of Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide (Scribe 2010) and The End of Charity: Time for Social Enterprise (Allen & Unwin 2008) co-written with Nic Frances, and winner of the Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues.
Her essays and articles have been published in a range of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including Crikey, The Age, The Australian and The Melbourne Magazine.
She has twice been awarded fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers’ House, most recently in 2020 for her novel The Campers, which will be published by Allen & Unwin in early 2025.
She lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 13, 2016
Fascinating. I first began reading randomly, all the stories were interesting so I started at the beginning. There is a formula here, but author Cuskelly consistently finds unique ways to present her material.
July 15, 2013
Warning: this book talks about horse slaughter. If that is an issue for you, don't read this book, or, ideally, have someone go through it for you and mark which pages/sections to avoid.
Lovely prose. Very mother-oriented, which isn't really my thing.
Lovely prose. Very mother-oriented, which isn't really my thing.
November 8, 2012
"The only gift is a portion of thyself."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews