Articles & Media
Another Hospital Billing Trap
We needed a X-ray to rule-out a fracture so opted for an urgent-care center, which did it quickly and efficiently. As the three employees closed up shop for the day, I reflected on how urgent-care centers filled a perfect niche between the ER and the impossibility of snagging an immediate orthopedic appointment. But this is health care in America, and nothing ever closes up tidily. Two weeks later a bill arrived…. More
Sunday Crossword Puzzle Clue
On a recent Sunday, my editor from Beacon Press was killing time doing the Washington Post crossword puzzle. Imagine her surprise to come across 86-across–a book that she had edited! More
Studio Visit: Nicole Cohen
Danielle Ofri, Bellevue Literary Review‘s Editor-in-Chief, visited the studio of multimedia artist Nicole Cohen in Lower Manhattan. Nicole weaves together past and present using video, drawing, painting, archival photos, and installations. BLR is honored to have Nicole’s “portraits in books” as the cover of Issue 46, featuring the winners of the 2024 BLR Literary Prizes. … More
Studio Visit: Alexander Gorlizki
Danielle visits the studio of Alexander Gorlizki in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Gorlizki’s vibrant art graces the cover of BLR Issue 44, featuring the 2023 BLR contest winners More
Studio Visit: Tatana Kellner
Danielle visits the studio of Tatana Kellner in upstate New York. Kellner’s touching art graces the cover of BLR Issue 45, which is focused on the theme of Taking Care. More
Covid Vaccine Heebie-Jeebies
Few patients seem to have specific reasons for declining the Covid vaccine. There’s just a vague hedge, or an abashed, “I don’t know, I just don’t.†It’s as though they have a communal case of the heebie-jeebies. More
“When We Do Harm” in Chinese
ä½ å¥½ NÇ hÇŽo Beacon Press is excited to announce that When We Do Harm is now available in Chinese! Click here to order. Also available in Chinese: What Patients Say, What Doctors HearWhat Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine More
Disability and Creativity
Danielle Ofri interviews poet Lynn Strongin about her experience with polio, its impact on her poetry, and the irrepressible creative impulse. More
It Shouldn’t Be This Easy to Lose Health Insurance
Why do Americans even have to “remember†to get health insurance every year? We don’t ask citizens to remember to enroll with the fire department every year, or to remember to sign up for electricity service or water. More
The Art of Taking Care
Go behind the scenes of BLR’s special issue on Taking Care. Meet poets, writers, editors, artists, and caregivers. More
Unfinished Symphony
The baton came down and everyone was off. I tried to catch a few notes but was immediately flailing and thoroughly lost. It went downhill from there, for a solid hour, an experience that could comfortably be compared to extended root canal, although dentists generally provide anesthesia. More
(Serious) Fun with the UnLonely Film Festival.
Danielle Ofri hosts Jeremy Nobel, founder and president of the Foundation for Art and Healing, as they screen three remarkable short films from the UnLonely Film Festival that explore themes of loneliness, connection, and belonging. These films are not afraid to be creative, resonant, or even hilarious. Meet the creative teams behind the films, and see how just much power can be packed into an under-10-minute-movie. More
The Evening Hero
Marie Myung-Ok Lee, the acclaimed Korean-American writer, joins BLR editors Doris W. Cheng and Danielle Ofri for a fascinating conversation about medicine, immigration, rural America, North Korea, family, and history. Marie Myung-Ok Lee, is the author of the novel, “The Evening Hero.” Presented in collaboration with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. More
BLR Spring Reading: Winning Words
A celebration of BLR’s 44th issue and the winners of the 2023 BLR literary prizes. Featuring winners Lara Palmqvist, Jehanne Dubrow, and Caroline Harper New. Interviews by BLR editors Doris W. Cheng, Scott Oglesby, and Abba Belgrave. Additional readings by honorable mentions Karen K. Ford, Sabah Parsa, and Karan Kapoor. Hosted by Danielle Ofri. More
The Healing Power of Art
BLR Editors Danielle Ofri and Abba Belgrave, along with BLR writers Sharon Pretti and Samuel Autman, explore the power of art to help both the ill and their health providers grapple with the medical and psychological challenges of illness. More
