Where the previous story is about ancient women who lived in secret defiance, this story is about a contemporary woman who lives in open defiance . . . as an overweight (by the industry’s standards) lapdancer. Govinden’s flash piece here is stunning in its imagery. Over a span of five nights, we see the short-lived career of this unconventional and hugely talented dancer. Her artistry gets her further than her contemporaries. But everything has a flipside and the ending here shows us that reality. This story showcases the power of the flash form in many ways.
First published in Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, Volume 2, No. 2, October 2009. Read it online here
A Personal Anthology 