In It Needed to be Tender and to be Whipped, one is exposed to Béna’s view on everyday situations, a view filled with wonder and thus perceptive of the mystery in small things. Narrations escape into the irrational and surreal. A love affair is just as wonderful as a stranger eating an apple. The scope of expression found in Béna's use of language demonstrates how relationships form between an artist’s writing and their other practices. Since most texts are intended to be performed or read aloud, the book is accompanied by an audio recording of the works on a USB key.