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
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
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
(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
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
Studio Visit: Lauriston Avery
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
The Power of the Pen
These past few years have brought human vulnerability to the forefront of our collective conscience and a recognition that the human spirit needs as much tending as the human body. Join Bellevue Literary Review (BLR) to celebrate ‘The Power of the Pen,’ exploring how writing can transform healing. More
