Linea Nigra: An Essay on Pregnancy and Earthquakes (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
At once both a meditation on and celebration of motherhood, Linea Nigra joins an elite lineage of maternal texts entwining the rituals of human, natural, and artistic creation. The result is astonishing—a beautiful book full of revelations on the depths of human connection, both with each other and the world around us.
— JosieDescription
"Eminently worthy of acclaim." --Vogue (The Best Books of 2022 So Far)
An intimate exploration of motherhood, Linea Nigra approaches the worries and joys of childbearing from a diverse range of inspirations and traditions, from Louise Bourgeois to Ursula K. Le Guin to the indigenous Nahua model Luz Jim nez. Part memoir and part manifesto, Barrera's singular insights, delivered in candid prose, clarify motherhood while also cherishing the mysteries of the body.
Writing through her first pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding, and young motherhood, Barrera embraces the subject fully, making lucid connections between maternity, earthquakes, lunar eclipses, and creative labor. Inspired by the author's own mother's painting practice, Linea Nigra concludes with an impassioned call: childbearing is art, and art is childbearing.