In this edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Valerie Bauman's memoir ‘Inconceivable’ (Union Square, Apr.). PW called the book, which explores the sometimes murky world of alternative fertility treatments, a "wide-ranging portrait of contemporary motherhood that entertains and informs in equal measure."
Here's how the book came together.
Valerie Bauman, Author
“I knew this was a story I had to tell as soon as I stumbled upon the world of freelance sperm donation during my own quest for motherhood. From the characters and their motivations to the incredibly high legal and ethical stakes for everyone involved, everything about it was absolutely fascinating and unlike anything I’d ever seen before.”
Amanda Englander, Editorial Director, Union Square & Co.
“This project caught my attention right away: a memoir telling the story of people ‘circumventing traditional fertility avenues and meeting up on their own terms to make a baby’ is a pitch you reply to, even on a summer Friday in August!”
Nicole Tourtelot, Literary Agent, The Gernert Company
“Valerie was recommended to me by Gernert’s wonderful podcast agent Joy Fowlkes, and the first
draft of her proposal was so compelling that my assistant and I were reading at the same time at opposite ends of the office and shouting to each other: ‘Did you get
to this part yet?’ Her personal angle and special access to the characters of the fertility underground had us tearing through the pages.”
Elizabeth Lindy, Cover Designer, Union Square & Co.
“With an abstract take on insemination, we wanted a clean and direct cover to suggest a balance of the scientific, social, and emotional engineering required for a modern-day, unconventional pregnancy. The circle is ambiguous as a moving target, an entrance into a tube, and a destination into an egg. The title type treatment reinforces a successful penetration into the conception process.”
