Taming those 'unruly' novels

“When language is treated beautifully and interestingly, it can feel good for the body: It's nourishing; it's rejuvenating.” – Aimee Bender

 

Born on this date in 1969, Bender is a novelist and short story writer who studied creative writing at the University of San Diego and California Irvine then went into simultaneous careers as a writer and teacher.  She teaches creative writing at the University of Southern California and was Director of the USC PhD in Creative Writing & Literature for several years. 

 

 Known for her stories about young people, Bender said, “I love to write about people in their 20s. It's such a fraught and exciting and kind of horrible time.”   The winner of two Pushcart Prizes, her novel An Invisible Sign of My Own, was named as a Los Angeles Times “Pick of the Year.”    Her collection of short stories, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, spent several months on both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists.  Her latest novel is 2020's The Butterfly Lampshade.

Despite the success of her novels, she said she prefers short stories.  “Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief.  But, I really like balancing the two.”

 

Bender said she enjoys writing.   “The human being's ability to make a metaphor to describe a human experience is just really cool.”