Patti Bender

After two decades of research and a lifetime of reading and re-reading her work, Patti Bender unexpectedly found herself the world's expert on Emilie Loring. Bender left a thirty-year college teaching career to complete the author's biography and pursue writing full-time. Her website, The Emilie Loring Collection (available at www.pattibender.com), has become a gathering place for Emilie's lifetime fans. A native of Tempe, Arizona, Bender earned a B.A. with Phi Beta Kappa honors in English and history at Trinity University, an M.S. at the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in human motor control at the University of Southern California. She is married and has two grown children. When she's not researching or writing, you might find her hiking, cycling, kayaking, gardening, or traveling. She collects interesting rocks, sea glass, and all things Emilie.