Huffington Magazine Issue 15 | Page 18

HUFFINGTON 09.23.12 Preface A Note from Electric Literature COVER ARTWORK: TRIMSPA BY ADAM CVIJANOVIC / ISSUE DESIGN: BILL SMITH, DESIGNSIMPLE.COM by Halimah Marcus and Benjamin Samuel, co-editors We’re thrilled to share with you Aimee Bender’s “The Red Ribbon,” which originally appeared in Electric Literature no. 3. It’s a story about secrets and identity, about how much of ourselves we are willing to expose, about the consequences of taking con- trol of our desires. “The Red Ribbon” asks what happens when a couple surrenders to fantasy and must struggle to find their way back. Perhaps most compelling is how far the story pushes their relationship, so close to revulsion and yet always within reach of tenderness.