Author: Cliff

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.
December 7, 2012

Tips for Writers: In Progress (What the heck does that mean?)

It’s been some time since I posted a new Tip for Writers. Sorry about that. I guess I’ve been busy. Today’s tip is prompted…
December 5, 2012

[My] Books Make Great Gifts!

Books make great gifts. Right? I mean, they’re compact and easy to wrap. They don’t cost much to mail. They’re durable, require no batteries, and…
December 3, 2012

The Duotrope Announcement

So, Duotrope.com is going to start charging. Good for them. It’s a terrific resource that has, up to now, relied on donations from users…
November 27, 2012

The New Yorker: “Literally” by Antonya Nelson

December 3, 2012: “Literally” by Antonya Nelson The Q&A with Antonya Nelson doesn’t provide much insight into this week’s story, although it does help…
November 26, 2012

The New Yorker: “Bull” by Mo Yan

November 26, 2012: “Bull” by Mo Yan This piece is an excerpt from the translation of Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan’s forthcoming novel, Pow….
November 21, 2012

The New Yorker: “Demeter” by Maile Meloy

November 19, 2012: “Demeter” by Maile Meloy Demeter is recently divorced from Hank, sharing custody of their daughter Perry (real name Elizabeth, but so…
November 21, 2012

Blogging hiatus and VCCA residency

I am in the middle of a brief residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and so I’ve not been blogging regularly….
November 15, 2012

National Book Award Winners Announced

The winners of the National Book Award were announced last night: In fiction, Louise Erdrich won for The Round House. David Ferry won in…
November 12, 2012

The New Yorker: “Member/Guest” by David Gilbert

November 12, 2012: “Member/Guest” by David Gilbert The author has a novel coming out later this year so I was convinced that this story…
October 31, 2012

2013 Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Literary Magazine Rankings In case you missed it, I have recently completed the popular Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings for 2013. I have put…