25 years of creative writing on health, illness, and healing

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— Everything BLR —

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— Read interviews with BLR authors, editors, readers, and more —

— A new set of great reads with each click —

  • fiction
  • nonfiction
  • poetry
  • Parricide 

    Parricide 

    by Steve Fayer. “My father killed his mother, confessed it to me in his last year as the black dog of depression chased him toward his own grave.” // continue reading

  • Charmed

    Charmed

    by Leissa Shahrak. “The handle of Hamid’s saber curved above his cummerbund. Arun did not like the way Hamid’s betel-stained teeth smiled out from between his oiled, drooping mustache.” // continue reading

  • Pale Unhappy Dog

    Pale Unhappy Dog

    by Angie Sijun Lou. “Li has never seen a kidney, but he imagines a flesh-colored ball the size of a fist. He wonders how he will transport it on his motorcycle, whether he will seal it inside a plastic bag… // continue reading

  • The Color of Sound

    The Color of Sound

    by Judy Rowley. “Almost every night throughout my childhood I prayed that a miracle would occur, that I would be able to hear perfectly one day.” // continue reading

  • Breathing

    Breathing

    by Shanda McManus. “My office is quiet except for the noise I make: the click of the light switch, the hum of the computer, the crinkle of my paper gown as I unwrap it. I pull on my PPE—gown, gloves,… // continue reading

  • If You Scared, Say You Scared

    If You Scared, Say You Scared

    by Sheree L. Greer. “Every time I think I learn something about myself, about my body and how to best treat it or love it, my body tells me that control is a lie.” // continue reading

  • Housebound

    Housebound

    by Betsy Unger. “My husband has been into town. / I can smell the out of doors / in his hair, on his cheek / as he bends to embrace me in bed / where I live now rather than… // continue reading

  • Speech

    Speech

    by Laurie Klein. “Lock that tongue to the roof / of your mouth, the therapist says, / eyeing the trach / at the base of her throat.”  // continue reading

  • Migrations

    Migrations

    by Ines P. Rivera Prosdocimi. “San Nicolas fluctuated between mentor, master. / The more I travelled the stairs, he levitated. The more / I slid my finger along his goldstone frame, he’d say, /‘Ciónnn.” // continue reading

As featured on PBS News Hour’s CANVAS Series

Watch PBS News Hour’s Jeffrey Brown report on BLR’s 25th Anniversary, featuring BLR Editor Danielle Ofri and past BLR writers reflecting on why poetry, storytelling, and writing matter, especially in moments of illness.

Whiting Award Winner

BLR was awarded a Whiting Literary Magazine Prize for “excellence in publishing, advocacy for writers, and a unique contribution to the strength of the overall literary community.”

Praise & Recognition