Perpetual Virgin (A Novel in Progress by Leah Marie Brown)
Chapter One: What’s in a name? All right I will admit it; I have told more than one man that he was my first lover. I don’t know why I started lying about my sexual history, but I think it could have something to do with my name. What’s in a name? If you are looking for the philosophical or poetic answer, check out Shakespeare. If you want a real-life, unvarnished example of the importance of a name, of how it helps mold and shape the personality and sexuality of an individual, read on. I am Vivia Perpetua Grant. I know what you are thinking. What in the hell sort of name is Vivia Perpetua? Maybe I should explain. My parents are strict Catholics. Born and raised in a small English town, they clung to their faith the way most British cling to their tea, the Queen, and their quirky comedies (I am sorry, but I just don’t get the humor of Monty Python. And am I the only person on the planet that finds Mr. Bean’s excessively large nostrils and slow-witted mumbling more than a little ...
