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
  • Thinking in Clichés

    Thinking in Clichés

    by Denitza Blagev. “After all the pain and blood, you almost begin to think of death as the next therapy, because that’s what it is, you realize. Death is part of the process.” // continue reading

  • 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

  • A Brutal Sweetness

    A Brutal Sweetness

    by Abby Nance. “Last night my breath changed from quiet to labored heaving. We all wonder: will this be my last bath?” // continue reading

  • The Family Farm

    The Family Farm

    by Wyatt Bandt. “It didn’t feel wrong because I chose to do it. When I was home from university, I continued in this way, carrying a sharpened coal shovel and leather gloves, or my mother’s .22 Ruger handgun.” // continue reading

  • The Funeral

    The Funeral

    by Alexander Schuhr. “Tonton Charles was not a great man. He had not led an inspirational life. In fact, he had spent little of it sober.” // continue reading

  • Remembering Appleman

    Remembering Appleman

    by Scott Temple. “’If I can’t help your mother,’ Appleman said to me, ‘then I’ll help you build some armor against her rages.’”  // continue reading

  • Ahihi Bay

    Ahihi Bay

    by Floyd Skloot. “So far this morning has been cool and gray but as she walks backward into the sea, adjusting her snorkel and mask, sunlight appears over Haleakala’s cone…” // continue reading

  • Ash

    Ash

    by Karin Gottshall. “The river has its own concerns. It loves / the human form the way fury / loves a stone.” // continue reading

  • Dear Shooter,

    Dear Shooter,

    by Rachel Ullah. “Bloodstains left / on the sidewalk / Body bags, / Yellow tape, / Why don’t you think about the consequences / You’re going to have to face?” // 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