The Stranger

(A GRIMM SISTER) Bender's short stories are fairy tales from parallel—and perverse—worlds, that begin like so: "The man went to the pet store to buy himself a little man to keep him company." And so: "The motherfucker arrived at the West Coast from the Midwest." And so: "The boy was born with fingers shaped like keys... His true task was to find the nine doors." The flatness of her prose and the wildness of her imagination go together like pepper and salt. Go hear her read. (Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, www.hugohouse.org. 3 pm, $5—$7.) by Brendan Kiley

Link  |  Post Comment (0)