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
  • 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

  • Commotio Cordis

    Commotio Cordis

    by Pria Anand. “Lydia dreamt, too. She dreamt of Carnivale, of the motorcade, motorcycles without mufflers and pickup trucks hung with paper cutouts circling the island.” // continue reading

  • Responsibility

    Responsibility

    by Alok A. Khorana. “Vivek prided himself on bringing order to chaos. Lowly intern that he was, Vivek was the face of Ward 10.” // continue reading

  • Refugere

    Refugere

    by Nina Adel. “Any place a place of refuge. Any place, as long as it’s not the place you’ve left. Live anywhere, but always leave the back door open.” // 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

  • Lone Wolf

    Lone Wolf

    by Ellen Gunnarsdottir. “‘That’s just how he is, our dear doctor,’ people would say, and by this would they meant that it was this very energy that had sent him to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a member of… // 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