Aimee Bender Quotes

Powerful Aimee Bender for Daily Growth

About Aimee Bender

Aimee Bender, born on December 8, 1969, is an acclaimed American short-story writer, novelist, and visual artist who has made a significant impact on contemporary literature with her unique and imaginative narrative style. Bender was raised in Los Angeles, California, and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she studied art before transferring to UC Berkeley to focus on creative writing. Her artistic background is evident in her work, which often explores surreal themes and fantastical elements. Bender's debut short story collection, "The Girl in the Flammable Skirt" (1998), introduced readers to her distinctive voice and captivating storytelling abilities. The collection, which includes the widely anthologized stories "The Baby in the Iron Coat" and "Flammable Skirt," showcases Bender's talent for crafting imaginative tales with deep emotional resonance. In 2001, Bender published her second short story collection, "Eli the Fanatic," which garnered critical acclaim and cemented her reputation as a master of the form. The title story, a poignant exploration of love, obsession, and transformation, is considered one of her most powerful works. Bender's first novel, "An Invisible Sign of My Own" (2005), was followed by "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" (2010) and "The Butterfly Yellow" (2020). Each of these novels delves into the complexities of human emotion, relationships, and identity, often using fantastical elements to illuminate universal truths. Throughout her career, Bender has been recognized for her contributions to literature with numerous awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work continues to captivate readers and inspire new generations of writers with its inventive storytelling and profound emotional depth.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In this world, it is not a waste to imagine things that cannot be."

This quote suggests that dreaming about possibilities beyond our current reality holds intrinsic value. It's important to explore our imagination, even when what we envision may seem impossible in the physical world, as this process fosters creativity, encourages personal growth, and broadens our perspectives. The act of imagining helps us push boundaries, question norms, and ultimately shapes our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.


"A secret is the kind of thing you'll take with you to your grave, if you have one."

This quote by Aimee Bender underscores the idea that secrets are deeply personal and significant matters that often remain hidden from others throughout a person's lifetime. Secrets are kept close to our hearts, only shared with trusted individuals when we deem it appropriate, if at all. The phrase "if you have one" implies that some people may not have secrets due to their nature or life choices, but for those who do, they carry these secrets as a part of themselves, taking them even beyond the physical self to the metaphorical grave. In essence, secrets serve as an intimate aspect of our identity and are often seen as burdens that cannot be easily shared or released.


"I think there's always a magic happening under the surface of things, and we just have to get quiet enough to see it."

Aimee Bender's quote suggests that the world is filled with hidden, enchanting phenomena, often overlooked due to our preoccupation with the surface-level reality. She encourages us to cultivate stillness and quietness in ourselves so we can perceive these subtle, magical happenings beneath the visible layer of daily life. This quote underscores the importance of mindfulness, introspection, and an open heart in order to uncover the wonders that lie just beyond our conscious awareness.


"We have a choice in how much space we give a thing in our heads."

Aimee Bender's quote emphasizes the control individuals possess over their thoughts, emotions, and actions. By choosing to allocate more mental space to certain ideas or experiences, we effectively prioritize them in our lives, allowing them to have a greater impact on us. Conversely, by minimizing the mental space given to less important matters, we can reduce their influence and maintain focus on what truly matters to us. Essentially, this quote underscores the power of perspective and self-awareness in shaping our emotional, intellectual, and behavioral responses to the world around us.


"If I could be any kind of animal, I would choose one that can sleep standing up."

This quote suggests a desire for resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges, as some animals are capable of standing and sleeping at the same time, symbolizing their ability to continue functioning despite fatigue or hardship. It also implies a longing for balance and multitasking, as these animals can rest while still being alert to their surroundings. In essence, it's about finding strength in unusual places and maintaining productivity amidst rest.


I think teaching keeps me honest because if I'm up in front of a class talking about what I think is important about fiction while knowing I myself have just failed to do that hours earlier at my computer - it's a good and humbling reminder.

- Aimee Bender

Fiction, I Think, About, Humbling

As a kid, I often figured it was good to be patient to a fault.

- Aimee Bender

Kid, Patient, Fault, Be Patient

In terms of foods for me, I think I have more of the usual associations - foods from childhood that I associate with care and love, from relatives or special restaurants like the kind elderly man who dusted seasoning salt on French fries at the corner burger joint.

- Aimee Bender

Love, I Think, Associations, Relatives

I noticed, when I taught elementary school, how true the squeaky wheel thing is, and how endearing squeaky wheels can be! Because when you're being a squeaky wheel, you're also really letting people know who you are.

- Aimee Bender

Wheels, Elementary School, Endearing

I write on a very strict 2-hour-a-day schedule, and I really respond to structure and invented rules. So even if I'm finding out good information on a character, I will stop when I'm set to stop.

- Aimee Bender

Rules, Very, I Write, Strict

As a kid, I liked making up stories, and I wrote a story about a kangaroo and a bat with Christy Chang, and she went on to become a surgeon.

- Aimee Bender

Making, Stories, Christy, Making Up

Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief. I really like balancing the two.

- Aimee Bender

Over, Like, Last, Novels

At readings, audience members sometimes ask if I keep writing past the two hours if I'm on a roll, but I don't. I figure that if I'm on a roll, it's partially because I know I'm about to stop.

- Aimee Bender

Audience, Hours, Figure, Readings

I love all the arts - so museums, theatre, music, walks near trees or by the ocean, time with people, psychological readings.

- Aimee Bender

Love, Trees, Psychological, Readings

Large meadows are lovely for picnics and romping, but they are for the lighter feelings. Meadows do not make me want to write.

- Aimee Bender

Lovely, Large, Meadows, Picnic

I liked Hans Christian Andersen because the tales were so dark and tragic.

- Aimee Bender

Christian, Dark, Were, Tales

Granted, I'm someone who loves words. I've always loved poetry - so it's suited to me.

- Aimee Bender

Words, Always, Loves, Suited

I did plays in college, and I have half of a play. But I'm kind of stuck. I keep revisiting it so maybe it will move somewhere. There's something about plays where you can feel that sense of artifice at any moment.

- Aimee Bender

College, Play, Revisiting, Stuck

I love the idea of numerology, but I don't really believe in it. But I like thinking about what numbers convey.

- Aimee Bender

Love, Like, Idea, Convey

Generally, I think most of my writing tends to have some kind of magical element to it. That's the way I can access the emotional life of the character.

- Aimee Bender

Think, Some, Emotional Life, Element

Writing can be a frightening, distressing business, and whatever kind of structure or buffer is available can help a lot.

- Aimee Bender

Business, Help, Lot, Structure

When language is treated beautifully and interestingly, it can feel good for the body: It's nourishing; it's rejuvenating.

- Aimee Bender

Feel Good, Treated, Beautifully

I find I can write for two lines, and then I have nothing else to say. For me, the only way to find something comes through the sentence level and sticking with the sentences that give a subtle feeling that there's something more to say.

- Aimee Bender

Two, Through, Sentences, Lines

I don't eschew autobiographical writing, but I'm not interested in mine to be so straightforward. The things that tend to move me the most are often those that I have to figure out its meaning for myself. The human being's ability to make a metaphor to describe a human experience is just really cool.

- Aimee Bender

Out, Straightforward, Human Experience

I like the idea of a place that is dealing with painful, messy, frightening, and very human events that is also so beautiful and ethereal.

- Aimee Bender

Like, Dealing, Very, Frightening

Some creative writing programs seem evil, but my experience at Irvine was totally the opposite, where I feel like they were really good at focusing in on each writers voice and setting. When I felt like I was obligated to write a story that was more typical, no one really liked it.

- Aimee Bender

Voice, Feel, Some, Creative Writing

I like birthday cake. It's so symbolic. It's a tempting symbol to load with something more complicated than just 'Happy birthday!' because it's this emblem of childhood and a happy day.

- Aimee Bender

Birthday, Symbolic, Symbol, Happy Birthday

There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be love, I guess, and failure could still be love, but the bad side; and loss.

- Aimee Bender

Love, Still, Side, Spectrum

Language is the ticket to plot and character, after all, because both are built out of language.

- Aimee Bender

Character, Plot, Built, Ticket

I have trouble describing my own style, since it's sort of like describing my own eye color or something.

- Aimee Bender

Color, My Own, Like, Describing

One thing I don't want to feel is marketplace pressure, so I'm really glad I enjoy teaching because I can rely on that for a salary. I think it would be such a different game if I had to write a book that has to sell well.

- Aimee Bender

Book, Game, I Think, Glad

For me, even in my first book, the pleasures of writing anything magical is that it has to be physical. It has to be grounded and very much in this world. Then, I get to play with all the consequences of this new thing.

- Aimee Bender

Play, New, Very, Consequences

I'm obsessed with adolescence. I love to write about people in their 20s. It's such a fraught and exciting and kind of horrible time.

- Aimee Bender

Love, Obsessed, Fraught, Adolescence

I get a little myopic in the act of doing any writing. I think I'm not as interested or not as able to write about balance, because I think there's something I want to try to get at. I'm trying to get at something about the experience of growing up or about families.

- Aimee Bender

Doing, I Think, About, Myopic

For me as a person, friendships are incredibly important to me, but in writing, they can distract me.

- Aimee Bender

Important, Incredibly, Friendships

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.