In the Miami Herald, Laura Allbriton writes: “In the 13 electrifying tales of Refund, she examines the themes of wealth and poverty, health and disease, and the suddenness with which our lives can change — or even end….Bender ends on notes … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a comment“The tales told in Karen Bender’s “Refund,” a collection of stories that centers on money and family, are exquisitely composed portraits of modern life, and chances are you will encounter characters that remind you a little or a lot of … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentThe blog Mirabile Dictu says: “The theme of money unifies Karen E. Bender’s extraordinary new collection of short stories, Refund…Bender’s style is forceful but simple as she shares her ironic, compassionate insights into money, security and family life.” You can … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentThe Billfold says: “Bender’s evocative prose takes us immediately to a place that we recognize, even if we haven’t yet lived there ourselves…I loved Refund. Highly recommended.” You can read the full review here.
Posted in News | Leave a commentThe Boston Globe says: “The stories are replete with poignant, tragic moments…her graceful and sensitive treatment of her characters reminds us that in difficult times, it’s important to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle.” You can read the … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentFor the week of January 12, 2015, Refund is a PW Picks: Books of the Week.
Posted in News | Leave a commentBooklist says: “Bender’s tales are stark, heart-wrenching, quirky….but they all work together, as Bender leads us to a unifying conclusion: you can’t put a price on human life or love.”
Posted in News | Leave a commentIn a preview of Southern books in 2015, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says, “Money–how to obtain it, give it, earn it, lose it, even steal it–unites the stories in this masterful new collection. Bender (A Town of Empty Rooms) takes ripped-from-the-headlines … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentPeople magazine says: “Bender probes the depths people will sink to for love and money in this poignant, absorbing collection of finance-themed tales. Worth investing time in.”
Posted in News | Leave a commentIn the January, 2015 issue, O magazine reviews Refund: “Each day Bender’s cast of ordinary people struggle to make sense of their debts, their fears, and how to be satisfied with what they’ve got, in short stories that are both … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentIn the December, 2014 issue, More magazine reviews Refund: “Stories about hustlers, heirs, wage slaves, moguls, and the newly impoverished. “Is this where my life has led?” asks a hard-up character. “Where do I go now?” A fictional bonanza for … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentThanks to PW for this beautiful review: “The stories’ strengths stem from Bender’s beautiful writing and her ability to convey the wonder and dread of ordinary life, the things we might notice—whether with terror or with joy—if we weren’t too … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a comment“Every once in a while a book steps onto the stage and convinces readers all over again that literature is the great companion and interpreter of life. This is one of those books. In these eleven absolutely masterful stories by … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a comment“In an American moment where money rules and anxieties fester, Karen Bender has stepped in to tell all our stories with unsettling honesty, an eye for our absurdities, and an openness to the moments of grace that keep us going. … Continue reading
Posted in News | Leave a commentA new short story, “For What Purpose?” is now up in the American Empires issue of Guernica magazine. The story is from my new collection, “Refund.” You can read the story here.
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