ELIZABETH BINGGELI began writing at the University of Southern California through the tutelage of T. C. Boyle. She received her M.A. from the University of California at Davis, where her principal teacher was Elizabeth Tallent. She now lives in Los Angeles, picking up small checks from tutoring, house-cleaning, working as an aide in a special education classroom, and typing everything from personality tests to peanut butter cookbooks. "The Backyard" is her first published story.