Aimee Bender
Encyclopedia
Aimee Bender is an American
novelist and short story writer, known for her surreal plots and characters.
from the distinguished creative writing MFA program at University of California at Irvine. While at UCI she studied with Judith Grossman
and Geoffrey Wolff
. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Southern California
and heads a class in surrealist writing at the UCLA
Extension Writers' Program and has been a senior artist at the non profit theater workshop The Imagination Workshop, helping mentally ill and at-risk individuals write, direct and act in their own theatrical creations. She has named Oscar Wilde
, Hans Christian Andersen
, the Brothers Grimm and Anne Sexton
as influences on her writing. A native of Los Angeles, Bender is a close friend of fellow UCI alumni Alice Sebold
.
Her first book was The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, a collection of short stories, published in 1998. The book was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of 1998
and spent seven weeks on the Los Angeles Times
bestseller list. Her novel An Invisible Sign of My Own was published in 2000
, and was named as an L.A. Times pick of the year. In 2005
she published another collection of short stories, Willful Creatures, which was nominated by The Believer
magazine, owned by McSweeney's
, as one of the best books of the year. Her novella "The Third Elevator" was published in 2009 by Madras Press. Her novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was published in 2010 by Doubleday.
Bender has received two Pushcart Prize
s, and was nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award
in 2005. Her short story, "Faces" was a 2009 Shirley Jackson Award
finalist. In 2009 Bender became the sitting judge for the Flatmancrooked Writing Prize, a writing award from Flatmancrooked Publishing for new short fiction.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and short story writer, known for her surreal plots and characters.
Biography
Bender received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at San Diego, and a Master of Fine ArtsMaster of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the distinguished creative writing MFA program at University of California at Irvine. While at UCI she studied with Judith Grossman
Judith Grossman
Judith Grossman is an American writer. She earned a scholarship to Oxford, from which she received a First Class degree in English in 1958. She received a PH.D. from Brandeis University, in 1968. She taught at Bennington College. She also taught in the Creative Writing MFA programs at U. C. Irvine ...
and Geoffrey Wolff
Geoffrey Wolff
Geoffrey Wolff is an American novelist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer. Among his honors and recognition are the Award in Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and fellowships of the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Academy in Berlin , and the Guggenheim...
. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and heads a class in surrealist writing at the UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Extension Writers' Program and has been a senior artist at the non profit theater workshop The Imagination Workshop, helping mentally ill and at-risk individuals write, direct and act in their own theatrical creations. She has named Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, the Brothers Grimm and Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967...
as influences on her writing. A native of Los Angeles, Bender is a close friend of fellow UCI alumni Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold is an American novelist. She has published three books: Lucky , The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon .-Early life:...
.
Her first book was The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, a collection of short stories, published in 1998. The book was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of 1998
1998 in literature
The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
and spent seven weeks on the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
bestseller list. Her novel An Invisible Sign of My Own was published in 2000
2000 in literature
The year 2000 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published...
, and was named as an L.A. Times pick of the year. In 2005
2005 in literature
The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation....
she published another collection of short stories, Willful Creatures, which was nominated by The Believer
The Believer (magazine)
The Believer is a United States literary magazine that also covers other arts and general culture. Founded and designed in 2003 by the writer and publisher Dave Eggers, it is edited by Vendela Vida, Heidi Julavits and Ed Park...
magazine, owned by McSweeney's
McSweeney's
McSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers.Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: the quarterly literary journal,...
, as one of the best books of the year. Her novella "The Third Elevator" was published in 2009 by Madras Press. Her novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was published in 2010 by Doubleday.
Bender has received two Pushcart Prize
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
s, and was nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by science fiction authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon.- Background...
in 2005. Her short story, "Faces" was a 2009 Shirley Jackson Award
Shirley Jackson Award
The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and the dark fantastic are presented at Readercon, an annual conference on imaginative...
finalist. In 2009 Bender became the sitting judge for the Flatmancrooked Writing Prize, a writing award from Flatmancrooked Publishing for new short fiction.
External links
- Aimee Bender website
- UCI Profile
- Corporeal Reality radio conversation between Aimee Bender and Museum of Jurassic Technology curator David Wilson
- Flatmancrooked Writing Prize
- Review of Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake at Sycamore Review.
- Interview with Aimee Bender at Sycamore Review.