Pub Crawl: Bellevue Literary Review

It seems like every other sitcom these days is some rendition of a hospital drama, and let’s be honest, most of it is pretty canned. So I’m thankful for Bellevue Literary Review, a journal that features writers with fresh and meaningful takes on what goes in the lives of those suffering through illness, as well as those whose job it is to treat it. 

Many thanks to managing editor Stacy Bodziak for her willingness to talk with us about the Bellevue Literary Review.

RM: The Bellevue Literary Review has a very unique vision. Can you tell us how that vision—and the journal—came into existence?

SB: Illness touches everyone’s life and often probes human existence at its most vulnerable. Writers have always used illness as central metaphors in their art, and people with illness have always turned to literature and poetry for comfort. Doctor-writers like William Carlos Williams wove literature directly into their practice of medicine and vice-versa.

Three of the BLR’s founders are doctors and had themselves been incorporating literature into teaching in an effort to foster a greater sense of empathy and improve communication skills in doctors-in-training. The idea for the BLR sprang from this philosophy, that literature and medicine were intrinsically connected.

The journal’s first call for submissions brought a flood of manuscripts and proved that these themes had struck a nerve. Since then, submissions have grown steadily—we now receive nearly 4000 a year.

RM: Most University literary journals are put out by the English or some other Humanities department, yet BLR is published by the Department of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine. Please tell us about that relationship. What is beneficial? Challenging? Unique?

SB: Being part of the Department of Medicine is a natural fit for the BLR. At one point, humanities and medicine seemed like opposite ends of the chasm, but that’s just not the case any more. The chair of the department is a co-founder and publisher of the BLR, so the journal has been embraced and championed by the department, which is now developing its own Division of Medical Humanities. And our offices are located in Bellevue Hospital, which is so rich with history and human stories.

We host our semi-annual readings in the atrium of Bellevue Hospital, and this has proved to be a surprisingly successful venue for literature with audiences of over 100 at every event.

RM: Your web site mentions that you invite “creative interpretations” of the themes of relationships to the human body, illness, health and healing. Can you give us a few examples of how writers have done just that?

SB: At first glance, “Illness, health and healing” can seem like a narrow theme set, but we truly do look for writing that approaches these subjects from creative angles. Some writers can turn what seems like the most familiar story on its ear and make it sing. There have been instances where one of our reviewers will tell us “At first I thought this was going to be just another story about a __________, but then...”

A few examples from our Fall 2010 issue: In “Manna” by TJ Beitelman, an old man out on his daily walk finds a single marijuana cigarette on the street and brings it home to share with his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Their day changes and brightens; what seems to be an ordinary gesture—making her a sandwich—becomes a singular, celebratory experience to him. “Girls, at Play,” by Celeste Ng, is written in the unique, collective voice of a trio of junior high school girls who try in vain to protect a new, innocent student from the status quo of stealing and random sex.

RM: What book(s) do you have on your nightstand currently? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

SB: I’m reading “Let the Great World Spin” by Colum McCann. Thumbs up—it’s a fascinating mix of characters and you can almost feel the heartbeat of 1970s New York. Next up on the pile are the new Best American anthologies and “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese. I’ve also been meaning to get Benjamin Percy’s “The Wilding” because his collection “Refresh, Refresh” just blew me away.

RM: Do you have any editorial pet peeves? Any “If I see another poem/prose piece that starts (fill in the blank) I’m going to (fill in the blank)” type moments?

SB: My pet peeves are actually quite basic. A writer should always make an effort to become somewhat familiar with the journal. If possible, pick up an issue, but at the very least, check out the web site and guidelines. If a 5000-word limit is noted, please don’t send a 7500-word story. If a journal asks for three poems at a time, don’t send eight in one submission. This ends up being a time-waster for both editors and writers.

RM: Some journals describe themselves as more language-driven, some more character-driven, some plot-driven and so on. On a craft level, where does BLR land in that conversation?

SB: Language—a fresh, engaging style that just grabs us as readers—is the first thing that sets a story apart. The writer’s voice needs to be distinctive. The characters have to be equally compelling. They are what anchor us to a story—their unique lives, the glimpse they offer into a world that may or may not be familiar to the reader, but is nevertheless one the reader wants to spend time in. 

However, there have been instances where the writing is simply amazing, but nothing happens in the piece. The characters might be engaging and well-drawn, but if the plot doesn’t absorb the reader, the piece won’t work. In the end, all three of these—language, character and plot—need to come together to make the story shine.

RM: Would you please give any advice to those of our readers who would like to see their work in BLR?

SB: First, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, read our guidelines (and follow them!) Then, simply, send us your very best work. We love discovering a gem among the pile of manuscripts (or ‘e-pile’ as it is for the most part these days). It’s why editors do what they do. There’s a thrill in finding that story or poem that sits with you for days, the one you can’t wait to forward to your fellow editors, and in the end, share with your readers.

The Bellevue Literary Review seeks high-caliber work related to their themes of health, healing, illness, the mind and the body. Submission guidelines can be found at blr.med.nyu.edu.

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