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.
September 7, 2008

>The New Yorker: "Face" by Alice Munro

>This is the third Munro story of the year, the first two being “Free Radicals” and “Deep-Holes.” And for most of this one, I…
September 6, 2008

>New Issue: Per Contra

>The Fall 2008 issue of Per Contra is up!
September 6, 2008

>Fans Queue Hours to Meet Cliff

>Thanks to Google Alerts, I get an email when “Cliff Garstang” pops up on the internet. The alerts aren’t always as directly applicable to…
September 6, 2008

>MFA Program Rankings

>Seth Abramson has a ranking of traditional MFA Programs at The Suburban Ecstasies that some may find interesting. It does NOT include low-residency MFA…
September 4, 2008

>New Issue: Carve

>Check out the new issue of Carve
September 2, 2008

>ASC: Hamlet

>Last night was the fourth time I’ve seen Hamlet at the Blackfriars Playhouse. The first time, before I began this blog, was in 2001…
September 2, 2008

>Writer’s Block

>Lauren Baratz-Logstead writes about this common (or is it?) problem: Writer’s Block: Is it all in your head?. (Wait, isn’t that what Phil Gramm…
August 31, 2008

>The LitMag Game

>If each submission to a literary magazine is like a football game (with the new season getting underway, football is on my mind), then…
August 30, 2008

>American Shakespeare Center

>I just noticed that the American Shakespeare Center has redesigned its website. It looks great. And I also see that they are offering previews…
August 29, 2008

>The New Yorker: "Gorse is Not People" by Janet Frame

>When the magazine publishes a found story by a dead author, I suppose all the rules go out the window. One can’t expect that…