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Editor Interview: The Examined Life Journal

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

Health & Disease Issues

What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

We admire Bellevue Literary Review. Our journal explores the interface between the individual and the healing arts. Like BLR, we do not limit ourselves to "medical" pieces, but are interested in all aspects of the human condition.

If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

Marilynne Robinson, Jennifer Egan, Ethan Canin, Virginia Woolf, Abraham Verghese, Siddhartha Mukherjee, David McCullough, Atul Gawande, Emily Dickinson, Richard Wright.

What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

The field of healthcare places intelligent, observant, articulate people smack in the middle of critical moments in people's lives. We are not concerned with who writes the stories that result, but how well these moments are recorded. We are amazed and grateful that the night nurse who has devoted most of her life to patient care may also be a wonderful poet. We look not for big names but good writing.

What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

We want to see life on each page.

Describe the ideal submission.

Vivid prose or poetry with a strong voice

What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

Follow the guidelines. We will consider prose over 5000 words, but there must be a compelling reason for such length. It may not be obvious to the submitter, but there is a good reason that each poem be submitted separately.

How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A short bio and other commentary is at times helpful, but past success plays little part in our decision to publish.

How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

Though each of our final selections are closely and professionally copy edited, we keep other editing to a minimum. We have enough excellent submissions that we will decline submissions that require extensive editing.

Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

Yes.

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