Venus in the Afternoon

Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Quote

VENUS intheafternoon Previous Winners of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction Laura Kopchick, series editor Barbara Rodman, founding editor The Stuntman’s Daughter by Alice Blanchard Rick DeMarinis, Judge Here Comes the Roar by Dave Shaw Marly Swick, Judge Let’s Do by Rebecca Meacham Jonis Agee, Judge What Are You Afraid Of? by Michael Hyde Sharon Oard Warner, Judge Body Language by Kelly Magee Dan Chaon, Judge Wonderful Girl by Aimee La Brie Bill Roorbach, Judge Last Known Position by James Mathews Tom Franklin, Judge Irish Girl by Tim Johnston Janet Peery, Judge A Bright Soothing Noise by Peter Brown Josip Novakovich, Judge Out of Time by Geoff Schmidt Ben Marcus, Judge 2012 WINNER, KATHERINE ANNE PORTER PRIZE IN SHORT FICTION University of North Texas Press Denton,Texas VENUS intheafternoon Stories by Tehila Lieberman ©2012 Tehila Lieberman All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Permissions: University of North Texas Press 1155 Union Circle #311336 Denton,TX 76203-5017 The paper used in this book meets the minim um requirements of the Amer ican National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,z39.48.1984. Binding materials have been chosen for durability. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lieberman,Tehila, 1956– Venus in the afternoon : stories / by Tehila Lieberman.—1st ed. p. cm.—(Number 11 in the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction series) 2012 Winner, Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction ISBN 978-1-57441-466-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-57441-477-6 (ebook) 1. Jews—Fiction. 2. City dwellers—Fiction. I.Title. II. Series: Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction series ; no. 11. PS3612.I33523V46 2012 813'.6—dc23 2012025399 Venus in the A fternoon is N umber 11 in the K atherine Anne Porter Prize in S hort Fiction Series. This is a w ork of f iction. Any resemblance to actual e vents or establishments or to persons living or dead is unintentional. Text design by Carol Sawyer/Rose Design For Bati and Amir “. . . whittling and refashioning her so she could tell how we are breakable and mortal, how suffering is a grace and pain a living pearl. . . .” — John F. Deane , fro m OUT OF A WALLED GARDEN: THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX ...