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, 2007

>Not much to report . . .

>Happy New Year! Mexico City is quit today, with hardly anything open. I was surprised to stumble upon this Internet cafe in my wanderings….
December 30, 2006

>On the Road Again

>Today I leave for Mexico, to visit a couple of sites I haven’t seen before and then to participate in the Under the Volcano…
December 29, 2006

>Books of the Year

>Not long ago I reported on the Books of the Year list from New York Times. The beauty of the following list from The…
December 28, 2006

>Mistake Number 6

> Don’t Describe Sunsets. By which Bickham is saying that too much pure description gets in the way of story, which should always be…
December 27, 2006

>Boldtype #39

> Issue 39 of Boldtype is live and it looks like a good one!
December 26, 2006

>Bare-Breasted Mama

>The latest instalment of Gail Konop Baker‘s Literary Mama column, Bare-Breasted Mama, is now up. Warning: it’s emotionally charged. All the best to Gail!
December 26, 2006

>The Short Happy Life of a Literary Magazine

>In 2004, I was pleased to hear from Penny Talbert, editor of The Circle Magazine, that she wanted to publish my story “Flood, 1978.”…
December 25, 2006

>I’m Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

>Merry Christmas to you, if that’s what you celebrate. I don’t, particularly, so I’m working this morning, listening to the sleet/rain bounce off the…
December 24, 2006

>Community of Artists

>Unquestionably, the wonderful thing about an artists’ community such as VCCA is the dedicated space and time or work—no meals to prepare, no dogs…
December 23, 2006

>VCCA Days 8 and 9

>Thursday at VCCA just got weirder and weirder. I worked reasonably well in the morning–since I had done what I set out to do…