Karen Bender, the National Book Award finalist for Refund, returns with the short story collection The New Order. These stories boldly examine the changes in American culture over the last two years through the increasing presence of violence, bigotry, sexual harassment, and the emotional costs of living under constant threat.  “What an amazing collection this is. Anyone who doubts that true art can be written in response to what’s going on in America needs to read The New Order.” —Joan Silber

Karen Bender is also the author of the novels Like Normal People and A Town of Empty Rooms. She has won grants from the Rona Jaffe Foundation and the NEA. Bender is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Virginia with her husband, the author Robert Anthony Siegel, and their two children. Bender will be joined in conversation by Writers' Workshop Director Sam Chang.