The paperback version of The Words of Dr. L will be released in May, 2026. Events are listed here:
May 16, 2026: I will be on a panel for the Gold Coast Literary Festival in Oyster Bay, Long Island, “The Art of the Short Story,” with Jennifer Sears. 1:30 -2:30 pm
October 28, 2026. I’ll be reading with Joan Silber at the Indie Press Prose series at the Concord Festival for Authors in Concord, MA. More info tk.
CLASSES
NEW! NYCWriting Intensive, an in person multigenre writing workshop in NYC, taught by me and Robert Anthony Siegel!
Robert and I are now teaching in-person weekend workshops in Midtown Manhattan, where we discussed student manuscripts (either fiction or nonfiction) up to 25 pages, generated new work, had a craft talk and a publishing panel. Our next one will the weekend of JUNE 26-28 and AUGUST 7-9 2026. UPDATE: Our August workshop is almost full; we still have some space in the June workshop. Email me at karenebender1@gmail.com for more info
I’ll be teaching online classes via Writing Workshops this spring!
Upcoming:
Building Interiority for Characters: Writing Memory, April 7, 7-9 p.m. EST via Zoom:
Email me at karenebender1@gmail.com for more information these workshops, or if you want information on my writing coaching or private manuscript consults.
We are scheduling two weekend revision workshops in our NYCIntensive weekend workshop program this June and August. On June 26-28 and August 7-9, we will meet in midtown Manhattan to discuss fiction or nonfiction manuscripts of up to 25 pages. … Continue reading →
The Chicago Review of Books names “The Words of Dr. L” on their list of Best Story Collections of 2025.” You can see the full list here.
O magazine calls Refund one of “Ten Titles to Pick Up Right Now”
08 Dec 2014
In 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 lean and expansive.”