- Published: 10 June 2025
- ISBN: 9781640095700
- Imprint: Catapult
- Format: Hardback
- Pages: 304
- RRP: $59.99
The Words of Dr. L
And Other Stories











- Published: 10 June 2025
- ISBN: 9781640095700
- Imprint: Catapult
- Format: Hardback
- Pages: 304
- RRP: $59.99
Literary Hub, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year
“Karen Bender’s stories deftly explore our current American moment, a troubling one that verges on insanity. Bender is concerned with love, family, and motherhood, and in these beautifully written stories she uses words to describe thoughts and feelings that I’ve never seen described before. A great writer helps us understand who we are, and what it means to be human.” —Matthew Klam, author of Who is Rich?
"Karen Bender’s brilliant new collection of stories is devastating in its human truths yet not without hope. In worlds where nouns are capitalized (Confusion, Separation, Protection) and empathy is under siege, these stories provide the answer to Andromeda Romano-Lax’s question: How can fiction predict a future that’s already happening? Motherhood circles around climate change, reproductive rights orbit autocracy, love swirls around pestilence and vicious patriarchy. Yet Bender’s characters never lose sight of the urgency of resilience and change. These stories ensure that we never stop asking the questions that will save us. The Words of Dr. L is a true literary masterwork." —Carolyn Ferrell, author of Dear Miss Metropolitan