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
  • The Hardest Parts

    The Hardest Parts

    by Fernando Álvarez-Perez. “Victor has evaded physical activity with crafty excuses his whole life, but he decides that boxing could be an acceptable diversion. He doesn’t have to hit anyone. There’s something thrilling about hammering away at the heavy bag… // continue reading

  • The Crazy One

    The Crazy One

    by Hadley Leggett. “But here I am, and here you are, and once you’ve heard the whole story,  it’s your job to decide: Am I the crazy one, or is it all of you?” // continue reading

  • In Another Life

    In Another Life

    by Lara Palmqvist. “The two of them stand framed together in the fragile glass, she thin-faced with a worried mouth, he like a wisp of smoke with flint at its center, vulnerable but still volatile within.” // continue reading

  • Askew

    Askew

    by Esther K. Willison. “It gets hold of me, I wrote less than a year after her death. Somehow  it creeps up.” // continue reading

  • Displacement: Illness & Health

    Displacement: Illness & Health

    by Barron Lerner. “To be ill is to be displaced—displaced from health, displaced from one’s former self, displaced from the community of the well.” // continue reading

  • Frontline

    Frontline

    by D. Liebhart. “When she was in her armchair, I brought her breakfast. She took a single bite then put down her spoon. “This is stupid,” she said. “This is only going to make it last longer.”” // continue reading

  • The Bottom Drawer

    The Bottom Drawer

    by Amanda Auchter. “Tucked beneath my mother’s shirts / and camisoles, a paper bag / of prayer cards, I find…” // continue reading

  • Toast

    Toast

    by Michael Montlack. “Once a woman who lost her mother / told me the story of a guru rushing / to satisfy his dying mentor’s last wish.” // continue reading

  • After Lightning, I Dream of Abrigette

    After Lightning, I Dream of Abrigette

    by Aracelis Girmay. “Abrigette, evenings you are my head. / I think of you at night & then in sleep, bricks / of your house stacked neatly, your dogs & your cats, / & I wonder if you are one… // 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