Aimee Bender has penned two novels and two collections of short stories, including a New York Times notable book and an LA Times pick of the year. Her stories are known for their contemporary fairytale quality. She is currently a professor of creative writing at USC.

"But what I kept wondering about is this: that first second when she felt her skirt burning, what did she think? Before she knew it was candles, did she think she'd done it herself? With the amazing turns of her hips, and the warmth of the music inside her, did she believe, for even one glorious second, that her passion had arrived?"

— Aimee Bender, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt