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 1, 2008

>The New Yorker: "Year’s End" by Jhumpa Lahiri

>Is there any doubt why I waited until today (the last day of the year) to comment on this story? It’s also not online,…
December 30, 2007

>2 Days Left!

>Just 2 days left to vote for the Best New Yorker Story of 2007! See the poll in the sidebar at right.
December 30, 2007

>Grace Paley in The New Yorker

>The December 24 & 31, 2007 issue of The New Yorker has two poems by Grace Paley, who died in August. Her new collection,…
December 30, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Beginners" by Raymond Carver

>In addition to the story “Beginners” by Raymond Carver, which is a restoration of his original version of the famous story that was published…
December 27, 2007

>The New Yorker: "The Arbus Factor" by Lore Segal

>The photograph accompanying this story (which is not online, it seems) conveys more, I thought, than the story itself (it’s of an woman with…
December 27, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Natalie" by Anne Enright

>This story does little for me. The voice is interesting – a teen Dublin girl – but that’s just not enough. The girl and…
December 25, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Alma" by Junot Diaz

>The Winter fiction issue of The New Yorker kicks off with this very short piece by Junot Díaz. This story is all about the…
December 24, 2007

>Surreal South, Edited by Laura Benedict and Pinckney Benedict

>Surreal South, edited by Laura Benedict and Pinckney Benedict and published by Press 53 is a pretty spectacular anthology of short fiction and poetry….
December 22, 2007

>Six Little Things No. 9

>The “A Penny Saved” issue (No. 9, Winter 2008) of Six Little Things is live. Check out this quirky little magazine!
December 22, 2007

>The New Yorker: Vote for the Year’s Best Story

>After much thought and toin-cossing, I have narrowed the choice down to just five stories – the five best stories that have appeared in…