The Literature of Life
The Bellevue Literary Review
I was recently reminded of the Bellevue Literary Review, a publication out of the country’s oldest public hospital in Manhattan, which is also home to a rather famous and infamous psychiatric ward. 20 years ago, Dr. Danielle Ofri began the magazine as an antidote to medical students’ overly clinical descriptions of patients and symptoms. She noticed that patients might leave the hospital cured, but not always healed. Healing requires connecting to other humans, and storytelling is a natural and potent vehicle for that kind of connection. So she invited the staff and patients to make space for these stories, both in daily interactions and in print.
Language is one of our most essential tools for expressing ourselves. It makes meaning of our histories, our identities, our relationships, our society. Toddlers, overjoyed with the new skill, sometimes use as many as 11 new words a day! And it is nothing short of amazing to consider the countless interplay between words to describe our unique experiences.
The Bellevue Literary Review saw a spike in submissions during the pandemic, overflowing with creative interpretations of illness and health, suffering and growth. Whole issues are dedicated to themes such as COVID, family, racism, and recovery. You can always check out a few entries online, or buy individual issues. You’ll be laugh-crying in no time.