Novelist, short story author is next to speak for Visiting Writers Series

Northwest Missouri State University’s Visiting Writers Series continues this spring with a short story author and novelist known for her unique style of magical realism and emotional depth.

Aimee Bender will visit Northwest and present her work from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom. She also will participate in a panel for the Northwest Day of Writing on April 4. The events are free and open to the public.

“Bender will share the power of fiction to break down barriers, both personal and cultural, and show us how stories can speak to the most profound and confusing aspects of our lives,” Daniel Biegelson, the series director and senior instructor of English, said. “Ultimately, I hope she’ll remind us that storytelling can be a tool for transformation — one that reaches back to our collective past while looking ahead to our future.”

Bender’s latest book, “The Butterfly Lampshade,” was published in 2020 and deepens the exploration of memory, perception and the surreal.

Her other novels include “The Girl in the Flammable Skirt” (1998), which was a New York Times Notable Book and spent seven weeks on the Los Angeles Times’ bestseller list; “An Invisible Sign of my Own” (2000); and “Willful Creatures” (2005), which was nominated by The Believer as one of the best books of the year. Her 2010 novel, “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake,” won the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Award for Best Fiction and an Alex Award. “The Color Master” (2013) also was a New York Times Notable Book.

Her work has been published by Granta, GQ, Harper’s Magazine, Tin House, McSweeney’s and The Paris Review. Her stories have been heard on Public Radio International’s “This American Life” and “Selected Shorts.”

She also is involved in Imagination Workshop, a social project that fosters artistic expression among people with special needs and mental disabilities. She has received two Pushcart Prizes and multiple nominations for the Tiptree Award and the Shirley Jackson Award.

Bender earned her bachelor’s degree in literature and creative writing from the University of California San Diego and a master’s degree in fiction from the University of California, Irvine. She teaches creative writing at the University of Southern California.

The Visiting Writers Series is designed to enrich Northwest’s educational mission while promoting the values of community, civil discourse and self-expression. Kawasaki Motos Manufacturing Corporation, Green Tower Press and the Department of Language, Literature and Writing sponsor the series.

The series concludes with Maya Angelou Award Winner Jamel Brinkley on Friday, April 18.

For more information about the Visiting Writers Series, contact Biegelson at dbiegel@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1266.