Aimee Bender, author of The Butterfly Lampshade, on Writers on Writing
Aimee Bender is the author of six books, including both
novels and short story collections. Her latest novel, The Butterfly Lampshade,
came out in July of 2020 and was listed by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the
best novels of the year.
Bender
joins Marrie Stone to talk about the book’s
inspiration and construction. In the process, she exposes the creative
fodder that’s gifted to us
by our own childhoods. She talks about how imposing time limitations on
her writing
allows her access to scary places, and how to listen to words that
"shimmer." Those words and phrases can be the keys that guide your book
in the right direction.
Bender teaches
creative writing at USC, has taught several other fiction workshops, and written
several essays on the craft. She brings that wealth of experience and
reflection to this interview to impart a lot of wisdom for both beginning and
advanced writers.
Download audio.
Download audio.
(Broadcast date: September 1, 2021)