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
  • We Are Only Human

    We Are Only Human

    by Mahak Jain. “My mother believed it was important for a child to witness healthy communication about difficult topics. My father allowed this as long as I remained quiet and didn’t interfere.” // continue reading

  • Your Quiet Affair

    Your Quiet Affair

    by Christine Caya. “Your affair with Connie Gervais starts the way you imagine most do.” // continue reading

  • Snow Over Hartford

    Snow Over Hartford

    by Dan Pope. “Mulvaney passed him the water cup, directed the straw toward his lips. From the hallway he heard the yelp of a police radio—the Hartford cops, pacing the floor, waiting on him, drinking hospital coffee.” // 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

  • The Next Bullet

    The Next Bullet

    by Jeremy Griffin. “Despite my respect for my students, I was afraid of them. Afraid of the  way they watched me as I delivered a lecture, afraid of whispers, silences.” // continue reading

  • Distance

    Distance

    by Mallika Sekhar. “The ward doctor rang me late in the night to say that the Judge had been admitted with COVID-19 and was not doing well. He wasn’t deemed fit for ICU because of his age and his prior… // continue reading

  • Rubies of Babylon

    Rubies of Babylon

    by Tim Suermondt. “I lie back a little dreamlike, / let Mary Immaculate take the blood she needs. / The sun has found its way inside, / enveloping all of us in its light—” // continue reading

  • Phosphorescence

    Phosphorescence

    by Zhu Jian. “Passing by the burial ground, / I see some flickers of light. / A friend tells me / it’s the bones that flash.” // continue reading

  • “Never Send…”

    “Never Send…”

    by Vincent Casaregola. “Having left work early this spring / afternoon, I feel no rush / to be anywhere but here and now, / even waiting at this reluctant light…” // 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