Art on the Line is a collection of essays by writers and artists speaking about where their social commitment and their art intersect. That is, these essays illuminate the aesthetics of "engaged literature," and include work by writers from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa who believe art can move people to action.

Art on the Line provides the aesthetic understanding to fully appreciate the kind of work Curbstone publishes in general and will stimulate thought and discussion about the enjoyment and function of literature from the point of view that has its roots in the work of Bertolt Brecht, Richard Wright, and Ralph Ellison.