ABSTRACT
In “Pull the sorrow from between my legs” I explore the meaning of blood as closely related to maternal mourning. By reading Lemonade alongside historical documents and other Beyoncé Knowles-Carter texts, such as interviews and the auto-documentary Life Is But a Dream, and integrating the story of my own history with loss, I argue that Lemonade creates a space to talk about black women’s experiences with miscarriage, infertility, and infant loss while also offering modes of healing. In an interview with Oprah, Beyoncé talks about her first miscarriage as “one of the hardest things I’ve been through” and a “big part of my story.” I contend that Beyoncé’s story of loss resonated with other women. In considering the role of fertility and loss, I argue that Lemonade concludes with the radical potential of a new kind of mother who births hope from her throat in the form of the flower. This mother births another generation of black feminist artists.
