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, 2007

>The New Yorker: "Good People" by David Foster Wallace

>Lane and Sheri have met at Peoria Junior College, in campus ministries. He studies business and she studies nursing and mostly what they do…
February 5, 2007

>Mary Akers Essay in Brevity

>Check out On Receiving Notice of My Step-daughter’s Pregnancy by Mary Akers, in the new issue of Brevity. Wonderful!
February 4, 2007

>Mistake Number 8

> Don’t Write About Wimps. I learned this one the hard way. My whole novel was about this passive guy–he even had a passive…
February 4, 2007

>Super Bowl

>This is my obligatory Super Bowl post, complete with prediciton. Loyalties aside (born in Indiana, raised in Illinois, Chicago for College, Indiana for grad…
February 3, 2007

>3:AM Magazine

>Lots of good, edgy stuff to read at 3:AM Magazine, including a new flash piece, Punk Love, by Alicia Gifford.
February 2, 2007

>Work-of-the-Day at EWN

>Lately, Dan Wickett on Emerging Writers Network has been highlighting a single story or essay each day. Recently he’s discussed work by Katrina Denza,…
February 2, 2007

>LitMag Wave: One Story #76

>“What is the Cure for Meanness?” by Brock Clarke. Bryan is the child of some pretty unhappy people and as a result, he’s pretty…
January 31, 2007

>LitMag Wave: Red Rock Review #18

> Although I’d heard of Red Rock Review and even submitted a story there a few years ago, the Winter 2006 issue is the…
January 31, 2007

>Security Concerns for Elif Shafak

>In light of my recent glowing comments about Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul, I thought this article from Publishers Weekly might be of…
January 29, 2007

>The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

>“Family stories intermingle in such ways that what happened generations ago can have an impact on seemingly irrelevant developments of the present day. The…