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.
June 18, 2007

>Ploughshares News

>I heard a couple of days ago from a usually reliable source that Don Lee, longtime (like 18 years?) editor of Ploughshares is leaving…
June 17, 2007

>The New Yorker: "1966" by Denis Johnson

>I don’t think I get Denis Johnson. I’ve read some of his work and other people rave, but I’m generally not satisfied. Here we…
June 15, 2007

>Tinker Mountain Day 5

>The last day began early as we convened at the Moody Center to caravan up to the Potts Mountain Shooting range. I totally believe…
June 14, 2007

>Tinker Mountain Day 4

>The Wednesday night reading (Hal Ackerman, Pinckney Benedict and Dan Mueller) was terrific. Both Dan and Pinckney read new things and Hal, a screenwriter,…
June 13, 2007

>Tinker Mountain: Day 3

>Tuesday night’s reading was a “student reading” in the “Green Parlor” of one of Hollins’s grand old buildings in the center of campus. Fifteen…
June 12, 2007

>Tinker Mountain: Day 2

>The reading last night. Thorpe Moeckel read several new poems, from his book that is due out later this year, and also several from…
June 11, 2007

>Tinker Mountain: Day 1

>Here I am at the Tinker Mountain Writers’ Workshop. We all arrived here Sunday evening and had initial sessions with our groups to trade…
June 10, 2007

>ASC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

>That certainly was a fun night at the theater. Lately, all the performances I’ve been to at the Blackfriars Playhouse have been well-attended (it’s…
June 10, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Roy Spivey" by Miranda July

>I am not familiar with Miranda July’s work except for her hilarious website promoting her new book. Certainly this story is clever, especially in…
June 10, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Wildwood" by Junot Diaz

>No lack of conflict here. Lola is the rebellious teenaged daughter of a single Dominican mother in New Jersey. They’re both hard to get…