Facing the devastating sight of an empty crib, the prospect of another negative pregnancy test, or the physical and mental toll after another unsuccessful round of IVF, some individuals struggling with infertility turned to art to express their anger, frustration, and grief.
Now their work has been collected in a new book co-edited by UWM assistant professor of English Maria Novotny. Infertilities: A Curation includes visual art and creative writing to evaluate the immediate and lasting emotional toll of infertility. The book highlights the perspectives of women, men, heterosexual couples, single parents, nonbinary and transgender individuals, and countless others. According to the World Health Organization, one in six people will experience infertility, though often discussing infertility is seen as taboo or deeply personal.
Novotny is the co-director of The ART of Infertility, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals grappling with infertility channel their struggles in the form of art. The organization has shown exhibitions of these works around the United States. Novotny’s co-editors include Elizabeth Horn (co-founder and co-director of The ART of Infertility) and Robin Silbergleid (author and professor of English at Michigan State University).
Infertilities: A Curation debuted on Sept. 19 and is available from retailers like Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Wayne State University Press. A month-long exhibit featuring artwork from the book along with pieces from the permanent collection of The ART of Infertility will be held at the North Shore Wellness Collective. The Milwaukee exhibit officially opens on Friday, Oct. 6 from 7-9 p.m. and the exhibit will conclude on Friday, Nov. 3 from 7-9 p.m. with a book reading of Infertilities hosted with Boswell Books. Other virtual and in-person events will be added to the book’s landing page and can be found here.