This is The Writer's Voice, New Fiction from The New Yorker.

I'm Deppertreisman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear Lara Vapniar read her story,

Def and Blind, from the April 24th, 2017 issue of the magazine.

Vapniar has published two short story collections and three novels, including memoirs of Amuse and still here,

which came out last year, and was included in the New York Times 100 notable books of 2016.

Now here's Laura Vapniar.

Deaf and blind.

This deaf and blind man,

my mother's friend's lover,

was on his way to spend the evening.

His name was Sasha.

My mother's friend's name was Olga.

I had known her since I was a baby,

so I considered her my friend, too.

She was beautiful, more beautiful than my mother.

She had a long, soft body and peach-black hair that reached to her waist.

My mother and I also had dark hair,

but ours was messy and thin and

forgettable, while Olga's hair made people stare at her. Olga lived in a town on the Black Sea,

but she visited Moscow often, and she always brought a gift for me. My favorite was a necklace made of seashells. I loved to put

a tone and dance while Olga clapped and sang. Poor Olga, she's so good with kids, my mother

...