The younger sister, Betsey, has an arm that ends in a point like “the tailed end of whipped cream.” As the older sister, Sally, takes it upon herself to hide it in tube tops or paint it in vivid colors. Their father is very depressed but the girls don’t know why he spends all day on the living room couch not wanting them near.

In “A Chick from My Dream Life” she describes two teenage sisters whose parents offer them little attention. You’ll have to read it to find out what happens.īender seems drawn to non-politically correct topics. This leads to consultations with a breast surgeon who has a pet iguana. Bender is a whizz at getting children down-both their conversations and behavior.īut the story is really about the mother in this story, six years out from breastfeeding, but the kitten’s mews cause a let-down reflex and her milk to return. One of the weirdest stories is “The Cat” where a mother adopts a kitten. All the while anxious parents text the narrator.

They proceed to eventually rolling the children up in a stinky rug after shots ring out. The narrator in this story gets the job of locking the door and pulling down the shades (what protection would thin shades provide?), while the other teacher hustles the children into a closet. Bender’s writing is non-judgmental but rich in detail. For instance, “The Sea Turtle Hospital” vividly describes a lockdown at a grade school. The pieces are irreverent, funny and sad at the same time, and rich with the absurdities and bizarreness of modern American life. Two of her short stories have won Pushcart Prizes and several others have been included in Best American collections, both for short stories and for mystery stories. Reserve a Meeting Room or Gallery SpaceĪlthough she has written three novels, this is Karen Bender’s first collection of stories.Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL).Community Access Television Services (CATS).

Public library and other stories