Mapping the Mind video
Watch the video of Danielle Ofri’s conversation with authors Susannah Cahalan, Sarah LaBrie, Damon Tweedy, focusing on memoirs of mental illness, neurologic disease, and psychological healing, and how writers give language to experiences that are often hidden, misunderstood, or stigmatized. More
Writing the Body video
Danielle Ofri moderates a fascinating conversation with best-selling authors Meghan O’Rourke, Rebekah Taussig, and Porochista Khakpour, exploring how they translate pain, diagnosis, treatment, and medical encounters into narrative. More
Body Politic: An Evening of Live Storytelling
Danielle Ofri and Ashley McMullen host a night of intimate and compelling live stories about the complex relationship between our bodies and society. Six storytellers take to the stage to perform their inspiring personal stories for a live audience, with live ASL interpretation. Presented by Bellevue Literary Review. More
Crafting a Story of Illness
BLR Editor Danielle Ofri hosts Sandeep Jauhar, Rana Awdish and Theresa Brown for a fascinating conversation about getting illness onto the page. More
Danielle Ofri interviews author Anne Fadiman
Danielle Ofri interviews author Anne Fadiman. They discuss her award-winning book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, and how the culture of medicine struggles to communicate with other cultures. They also delve into Ex Libris, Fadiman’s brilliant collection of essays about the trials of being a book lover and the tribulations of growing up in a “grammar cartel.” More
Danielle Ofri interviews author Pria Anand
Danielle Ofri interviews neurologist (and BLR author) Pria Anand to celebrate the publication of her first book, The Mind Electric. Danielle and Pria discuss writing, medicine, and the intricacies of the mind. More
Winning Words 2025
A celebration of BLR’s 48th issue and the winners of the 2025 BLR literary prizes. Hosted by Danielle Ofri More
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
Danielle Ofri hosts a conversation with editor Kate Edgar and writer Bill Hayes about the documentary of Oliver Sacks’s remarkable life More
Reading the Body—Panel Discussion and Film
Danielle Ofri hosts a panel discussion on dance, poetry, and the examination of “body politic,” along with a screening of the award-winning film, “Reading the Body.” More
Studio Visit: Mary Lacy
Danielle visits the studio of muralist and artist Mary Lacy in Northampton, Massachusetts. Mary does both large-scale public murals and intimate multimedia work that explores human anatomy. Her gorgeous ceramic mosaic portraits are featured on the cover of BLR Issue 47, featuring poetry, fiction, and nonfiction on the theme of Body Politic. More
The Book Doctors Are In!
Danielle Ofri hosts fellow medical writers Perri Klass, Esther Choo, and Damon Tweedy to talk publishing advice, creative writing, patient consent, the medical/writing life, and how to wrestle ethical dilemmas onto the page. More
BLR’s Narrative Arc
Danielle Ofri hosts the Narrative Arc: The Journey From Writer to Reader. Readers get to choose their favorite BLR stories, poems, and essays, and then get to interview the writer. It’s matchmaking in the best literary style! More
BLR’s Fall Reading
Danielle Ofri hosts an evening of author readings and interviews, celebrating BLR’s 47th issue. Meet the writers—Mehr-Afarin Kohan, Sean Sam, and Laura LeMoon—as well as the BLR editors who interview them: Danielle Ofri, Saleem Hue Penny, and Alanna Weissman. More
Book Talk with Tyriek White
Danielle Ofri teams up with Joy D. Calloway and Frank Clark to interview BLR author Tyriek White, on the occasion of his very first novel, We Are a Haunting. The conversation covers grief, loss, inspiration, writing, and cultural transformation. More
Danielle Ofri interview playwright Sarah Ruhl
Danielle Ofri interviews Sarah Ruhl — acclaimed playwright, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, MacArthur “genius”— a fascinating conversation about Sarah’s life, her career, and her extraordinary journey to reclaim her own face. Her book, “Smile,” was a New York Times best-seller.
