Publishers Weekly–starred Linea Nigra, a profound book-length essay on the art and mystery of childbearing, collects meditations of motherhood from Jazmina Barrera, who wrote through her first pregnancy, birthing, feeding, and beyond. In Elisa Albert’s new novel Human Blues—also recipient of a starred Publishers Weekly review—singer-songwriter Aviva Rosner desperately wants a child but cannot conceive. Structured around nine menstrual cycles, Aviva’s story wrestles with technological enhancements to human reproduction. Ploughshares calls Human Blues a “thought-provoking and multi-faceted contribution to the discourse on bodily autonomy and reproductive choices.”

Moderator: Ashley Nelcy García is a PhD candidate in Iberian and Latin American Literatures and Cultures at The University of Texas at AustinElisa Albert, Jazmina Barrera, Human Blues: A Novel, Linea Nigra: An Essay on Pregnancy and Earthquakes