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.
February 5, 2012

>Bookstores and Authors: Partners?

> Here’s an interesting piece in the WSJ by Emma Straub: How to be an Indie Bookseller’s Dream. Very good advice here that is…
February 3, 2012

>Tips for Writers: To be or not to be

> The verb “to be” is undeniably handy. We couldn’t be without it. (Heh.) Unfortunately, “to be” lacks motion. For forward momentum in writing,…
February 2, 2012

Perpetual Folly Pushcart Prize Rankings of Literary Magazines for 2012

  One of the most popular features of this blog is the ranking of literary magazines based on the number of Pushcart Prizes and…
February 1, 2012

>Forthcoming Books: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander

> This collection of stories by Nathan Englander is due out on February 7, and should be a hit, as story collections go. The…
January 31, 2012

>Year of the LitMag: New England Review, Vol. 32, No. 3

> [This is the 6th installment in my Year of the LitMag Feature. If you are interested in writing about an issue of a…
January 31, 2012

>The New Yorker: "Los Gigantes" by T. Coraghessan Boyle

> February 6, 2012: “Los Gigantes” by T. Coraghessan Boyle Q&A with T.C. Boyle (As of 9:20 pm on 1/30, the Q&A isn’t available, so…
January 30, 2012

>Authors Unite (on Facebook)

> Authors Unite is NOT a soccer team made up of writers (although that’s not a bad idea). It is, instead, an index of…
January 27, 2012

>Tips for Writers: Learn Anglo-Saxon

> You may have heard—or maybe you haven’t—that given a choice, a writer should choose an Anglo-Saxon word over one with Latin roots. Or…
January 25, 2012

>Forthcoming Books: Stay Awake by Dan Chaon

> I didn’t know Dan Chaon had a new book coming out until I read Benjamin Percy’s short preview in the February Esquire. It’s…
January 25, 2012

>Year of the LitMag: Prairie Schooner, Winter 2011: Ireland

> Year of the LitMag: Prairie Schooner, Winter 2011 Vol. 85, No. 4 Ireland The Winter 2011 issue of Prairie Schooner probably won’t help…