From its founding 1736, Bellevue Hospital has been a dumping ground into which a city poured its poor, elderly, and dying. What makes the oldest hospital in the United States unique is that Bellevue is a place from which no one in need is turned away.

Bellevue Diary is a collection of short stories borne out of Dr. Monif's year of internship that collectively pays tribute to this great hospital.

Bellevue Diary is a mosaic of short snippets of stories. Mosaics have to be near perfect to work. Ironically, this one comes close. What is surprising is that it works on multiple levels: a historical characterization of a place and time and the impact of Bellevue Hospital on a young physician's professional and spiritual growth, into which is woven a thesis of death's ultimate meaning. The pieces all come together to make this mosaic good reading.

Peter Firchow, PhD

Former Professor of English, University of Minnesota