"You Need to Bring Us With You." A Chat with Suzanne McConnell & Alanna Weissman, Editors of Bellevue Literary Review
Lit Mag Reading Club series interview
Good day! I come with news of another editor interview, freshly wrapped.
But first, a word from one of our lovely Lit Mag News sponsors.
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Now, onto the interview!
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Suzanne McConnell and Alanna Weissmann, Fiction and Nonfiction Editors respectively of Bellevue Literary Review.
Bellevue Literary Review is an award-winning independent literary journal that probes the nuances of our lives in illness and in health. BLR publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that brings together the perspectives of patients, caregivers, family members, students, healthcare professionals, and the general public. BLR is committed to seeking a diversity of voices from all communities and all walks of life.
In this conversation, Suzanne and Alanna took us through the journal’s initial founding as a developmental program for doctors at Bellevue Hospital. Since its early days, BLR has gone on to publish writers from around the world, representing a range of perspectives tied to the subjects of health, illness and healing.
This interview was part of our Lit Mag Reading Club. As such, we read issue 45, whose theme is “Taking Care.” The work here was poignant and intense, dealing with addiction, child abuse, aging, dementia, losing a beloved pet, and through it all loving and caring for others as their bodies fail them. Joining us in the conversation were two contributors, Jason Baum and Jim Muyres, who gave us wonderful insights into their experiences having their work edited for the magazine.
Indeed, the editors here work intensively with authors, often going back and forth on multiple drafts. As writers themselves, both editors appreciate the value of having hands-on editorial guidance and building relationships with contributors. That said, writers should always submit their best and most polished work. This journal receives about 4,000 submissions per year. These editors “want to see something different than what we’ve seen before.”
And what is it they see a lot of? Well, as you can imagine, common subjects are Alzheimer’s, cancer and addiction, among others. This does not mean such topics are off limits for writers. But finding what makes your story different, and how it resonates beyond a mere recounting of events, is a good way to make it stand out from the pack.
As for their editorial process, the work is typically screened first by readers, then moves along to editors who have final say. Cover letters are not especially important. All published work comes from Submittable. “We don’t solicit,” Suzanne stated. Many writers have published here for the first time.
Since the magazine is tied to Bellevue Hospital, and since Editor-in-Chief Danielle Ofri is a practicing doctor, I was curious whether the work published in the magazine ought to represent a certain relationship to doctors and the medical world. Can people submit pieces where a patient-doctor relationship is fraught? A story about a man who distrusts his cardiologist? A poem about someone who rejects her doctor’s advice in favor of herbal supplements? An essay about surgery gone wrong?
Both editors stated unequivocally that such subjects are fine. Of paramount importance is the work itself. For Alanna, the piece should be “still stuck in my head after a week.” For Suzanne “what matters is the story.” They both want “good work.”
So then, what kinds of things should writers look for one final time before hitting Submit? What do these editors specifically want to see more of? Is this a home for funny or absurdist approaches to medicine? And how exactly do these editors define work related to “healing,” since isn’t most literary fiction really about healing, in one way or another?
For all that and more, my dear friends, you will have to watch the video.
Bellevue Literary Review publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry two times per year, with one issue each year dedicated to a theme. Upcoming themes are “The Body Politic” and “Genus & Species.” Submissions open March 1st.
If you would like to be a reader for this magazine, they’d love to hear from you. Contact info is here.
To everyone who came out to join the conversation today, thank you! Your faces are the dazzling delirious sunlight on my muggy rainy afternoon!
And, of course, thank you to Suzanne and Alanna for taking us behind the scenes of another lovely little magazine.
This video is for members of the Lit Mag Reading Club only. You can become a member any time by signing up for a paid subscription to Lit Mag News.
Happy viewing!