Articles & Media
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
Telling the Stories of Healthcare
Danielle Ofri talks with medical students about how her interest in writing began, the story behind starting BLR, and her advice for impactful storytelling. More
Twice as Hard
Danielle Ofri is joined by BLR Board Member Ashley McMullen to welcome Jasmine Brown for a timely conversation about the interplay of racism and sexism within medicine, shedding light on a powerful history of Black women physicians that has long been invisible. Jasmine Brown is the author of Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century. More
Can Storytelling Prevent Gun Violence?
“Can Storytelling Prevent Gun Violence?” is a multimedia project from BLR and the Northwell Center for Gun Violence Prevention about how gun violence disrupts our relationship to society and to each other, and how can we bring the arts and storytelling into the conversation. In grappling with the enormity of gun violence, we asked how we can approach gun violence prevention with a creative lens. More
The Curious Side Effects of Medical Transparency
We demand transparency in government, charitable institutions, nutrition labels, and middle-school grading rubrics. The medical record should be no different. And yet, in writing medical notes in this new age of full medical transparency, I can feel an awkwardness creeping in. There is something disquieting about knowing that my every word might be scrutinized. More
A visit to the Lauriston Avery studio
Bellevue Literary Review is chock full of poetry, fiction, and poetry on the inside. But on the outside, the BLR features the work of contemporary artists on its covers. Danielle Ofri, BLR’s Editor-in-Chief, recently visited the studio of Lauriston Avery in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Avery’s otherworldly art graces the cover of BLR Issue 43, which is focused on the theme of Recovery. More
Danielle Ofri interviews playwright Sarah Ruhl
Sarah Ruhl–acclaimed playwright, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, MacArthur “genius” — joins BLR editor-in-chief Danielle Ofri for a fascinating conversation about her life, her career, and her extraordinary journey to reclaim her own face. Her book, “Smile,” was a New York Times best-seller. More
Covid and the Creative Process
Covid has generated unusual creative pressures: Must writers write about the pandemic? Does bearing witness to inequities impact creative output? How do we make art in a time of suffering? BLR editors Danielle Ofri and Doris W. Cheng are joined in conversation by poet Phillip B. Williams and novelist Weike Wang. With special guests: playwright Sarah Ruhl and scientist/writer Joseph Osmundson. More
