2008 Woodie Awards
"From the Stall" : A book that glorifies the bathroom artist
Sara Tezel
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: Life
When most people head to the restroom, their main objective is to get in, take care of business and get out as quickly as possible. Occasionally, a bathroom will have something for a person to read, such as a few words someone took the time to write on the stall between chemistry class and English or advertisements for cars, classes and other campus happenings. Doug Rice is someone who decided to collect the former and turn his findings into a 145-page bathroom/coffee table book.
"From the Stall" showcases some of the graffiti Rice has discovered in mainly University campus and bar bathrooms, all the places where one would expect to find humorous and pseudo-intelligent thoughts.
Although Rice has only been collecting graffiti for a year and a half, the idea came to him when he was attending Oakland University as a student. "It was finals week, and I was in the library, and I had to 'swing by the office.' So I go to the basement floor bathroom and in front of me I read 'Rick Moranis has enormous horse balls,' and at this very moment I was inspired to make a home bathroom reading book of a compilation of all of the unbelievable public bathroom stall graffiti people write."
Rice visited six colleges in Michigan, on numerous occasions, a few restrooms in Boston as well and "God knows how many bars. I found most of my material from the colleges because I think people are more likely to have pens when they s--," Rice said.
Interestingly enough, Rice has never personally written on a bathroom stall. Maybe this will change as he visits more schools and bathrooms in preparation for his second book. The book should be on shelves in the next two to three years. "I encourage people from everywhere to send photos that they take to the website [http://www.fromthestall.com] to get their school on the map and in the next book."
When asked about the purpose of his book, Rice responded, "I think this book is incredible on many different levels. It is a showcase to the mind frame of humans when they are doing their business. It is a form of expression that is very dirty, stinky and
"From the Stall" showcases some of the graffiti Rice has discovered in mainly University campus and bar bathrooms, all the places where one would expect to find humorous and pseudo-intelligent thoughts.
Although Rice has only been collecting graffiti for a year and a half, the idea came to him when he was attending Oakland University as a student. "It was finals week, and I was in the library, and I had to 'swing by the office.' So I go to the basement floor bathroom and in front of me I read 'Rick Moranis has enormous horse balls,' and at this very moment I was inspired to make a home bathroom reading book of a compilation of all of the unbelievable public bathroom stall graffiti people write."
Rice visited six colleges in Michigan, on numerous occasions, a few restrooms in Boston as well and "God knows how many bars. I found most of my material from the colleges because I think people are more likely to have pens when they s--," Rice said.
Interestingly enough, Rice has never personally written on a bathroom stall. Maybe this will change as he visits more schools and bathrooms in preparation for his second book. The book should be on shelves in the next two to three years. "I encourage people from everywhere to send photos that they take to the website [http://www.fromthestall.com] to get their school on the map and in the next book."
When asked about the purpose of his book, Rice responded, "I think this book is incredible on many different levels. It is a showcase to the mind frame of humans when they are doing their business. It is a form of expression that is very dirty, stinky and
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