Fantastic read: "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender

While at USC, I was fortunate to take the Advanced Fiction workshop taught by Aimee Bender both semesters of my senior year. Aimee is not just a phenomenal writer, she is a gifted teacher who genuinely cares about each of her students. When I entered her class, I was in a "writing rut" -- everything I put on the page felt stale, trite, overdone. Then along came Aimee. It was impossible to sit in her class and not come away inspired. She has an energy about her that is contagious. 
Cue the...