Posing Nude for the Saints: Stories

by Elizabeth Genovise

In the opening story of Posing Nude for the Saints , the daughter of a prostitute falls in love with a Mennonite and finds herself torn between two worlds. “Vincent” spotlights a young husband who comes to terms with his wife’s terminal cancer, confronting his own helplessness and terror. The title story follows a divorcee who responds to a Craigslist ad for boudoir photography and finds more than what she bargained for. In “Food for the Gods,” a widow shops for a last supper for herself and her unborn child; in “Passion Play,” a cynical lawyer has a chance to save a life. The central character in “Almost a Wolf” does quiet battle with a rural pastor who’s made a critical mistake. In “Citizens,” two runaway children escape a violent home and live happily in an abandoned camper until the real world intervenes. In “Irises,” a woman in crisis learns her mother’s deepest secret, and in “Burn,” a family of five vacations in a wild landscape that foreshadows their collapse. Set primarily in rural east Tennessee, the stories in Posing Nude for the Saints portray men and women whose souls are all exposed, and for whom redemption is yet possible.

128 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2019

About the author

Elizabeth Genovise grew up in Villa Park, Illinois. She graduated from the MFA program at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and considers her time in the Deep South to be the best of her life. Since then she has published three collections of short stories via small presses- A Different Harbor, Where There Are Two or More, and Posing Nude for the Saints- in addition to a chapbook, The Stone Pear. Her fourth book, Palindrome, is due out from the Texas Review Press in 2022.


Elizabeth is a 2016 O. Henry Prize recipient and her stories have appeared in The Cimarron Review, Natural Bridge, Pembroke Magazine, Appalachian Heritage, and dozens of other literary journals. She teaches college composition and literature, and also works as a private creative writing coach for aspiring authors. She and her husband Chris live near Knoxville, Tennessee in a home that is half writer's studio, half woodworking shop (where's the dining room???). Someday, she'd like to live in a lighthouse on Lake Michigan, and she is currently at work on a novel set in on those shores.

Reviews

[ZJ Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book I’ve ever purchased and read by Genovise. She inspired me to do so during a class she taught where I fell in love with analyzing literature. I could tell how passionate she was teaching when she shared stories with us. It’s amazing to know that she writes some of her own. This book is beautifully written! I love how vivid and descriptive each story is. I’ve definitely learned a few vocabulary words I didn’t know beforehand. I’m always looking for new words to learn. These stories are also touching for two reasons… This book is full of short stories, but you happen to notice changes in the story line and characters immensely. It makes the characters even more special to you because you want to learn how the rest of their story plays out after there has been a change whether to themselves or in their lives. These stories are incredibly raw when you notice that any one of them can happen in real life too. I imagine that there is something within the book that any reader can individually relate to or even sympathize with. There are a lot of sensitive topics that are written about but I feel like it gave me even more of a reason to read along!! Every story will tug at your heart strings in some shape or form. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.

[k · Rating 5 out of 5]

picked this up at a book festival on a whim and so glad i did. it was beautiful to read. her honest portrayal of each character brought out introspection into my own life and the human experience as a collective. two stories, in particular—“citizens” and “food for the gods”—touched my heart and will continue to keep a hold over it. this is going to become a treasure of mine and an addition to my shelf of 5 stars. a must re-read when i’m feeling lost in the world

[Pam Van Dyk Writes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genovise's new collection of short stories is both tragic and tender. These stories are about people living hard lives and dealing with loss and much more. In a less capable writer's hands, these stories would be sad, but with Genovise's deftness she transports us to places we know we are meant to see.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a great collection. I've thought about two of the stories, "City on a Hill" and "Citizens," every day since I read them. The writing is full of beautiful and solemn moments.

[Rosalind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painful, beautiful, honest portrayals of the side of us we try to hide.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genovise has such a gift for writing about divinity in short stories. I bought this book due to a mistake on a class syllabus, and it was the best accidental purchase of my life. I'm more a novel reader, but this little collection turned me on to short stories. I've thought about "City on a Hill," "Burn," and "Passion Play” countless times since this read - they remind me of myself and people whom I love.

She introduces her reader to characters for an apt amount of time so that readers are invested in their lives, but only for as long as they stay on the page. Its contents touches on love, life, and the desire for something more than ourselves - a relationship, a cause, or a belief in God to quench the loneliness of the human experience.

It is beautifully written with rich - but not too rich - imagery, characters that spring off the page, and situations with which anyone can deeply empathize. Genovise truly demands her reader to examine their own soul and to live as the character whilst reading. If you are feeling lost in life (or even if not), read this.