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.
January 3, 2010

>Andrew’s Book Club Picks for January

>Another month, another couple of short story collection picks from Andrew’s Book Club. This month we have Barb Johnson’s More of this World or…
January 2, 2010

>Happy Blogiversary to Me

>I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for five years, but it’s apparently true. Here’s my first post, from January 1, 2005. Now, a couple…
January 1, 2010

>Innovation at Smokelong Quarterly

>Here’s an interesting post at HTML Giant by Dave Clapper, editor of Smokelong Quarterly, about a new approach to submissions. The basic idea, as…
January 1, 2010

>2009 New Yorker Story of the Year: And the Winner is . . .

>The polls have closed and the votes have been counted. We have a tie! Sharing the New Yorker Story of the Year honor for…
December 31, 2009

>One Life to Give by Andrew Bienkowski with Mary Akers

>One Life to Give: A Path to Finding Yourself by Helping OthersAndrew Bienkowski, with Mary AkersThe Experiment, January 2010 Unlike many “self-help” books, this…
December 30, 2009

>The Art of Subtext by Charles Baxter

>The Art of Subtext: Beyond PlotCharles BaxterGraywolf, 2007 If you’re a writer, you’ll find this book useful. Even if you’ve read other essays by…
December 29, 2009

>Work in Progress

>I made a lot of progress on my novel while at VCCA, but over the last week I’ve made very little. Now, that week…
December 29, 2009

>Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

>Inherent ViceThomas PynchonThe Penguin Press, 2009 When I first read Gravity’s Rainbow, I was blown away, probably because I’d never read anything like it….
December 28, 2009

>Vote for the New Yorker Story of the Year — Just 4 days left!

>Please vote for your favorite New Yorker short story for 2009 by selecting one story from the poll in the right sidebar of this…
December 27, 2009

>LitMag Wave: Willow Springs 63

>Is Willow Springs on your radar screen? It should be. The magazine has been around a long time–30 years–and it quietly publishes fine fiction,…