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.
November 27, 2006

>Bare-breasted Mama

>Check out the latest installment of Gail Konop Baker‘s column, Bare-breasted Mama, at Literary Mama.
November 26, 2006

>Letter to a Christian Nation

>As well-written as this book is, I doubt that it will persuade anyone to abandon his/her religion, and I’d be surprised if many Christians…
November 25, 2006

>55 Words

>My friend Shelley Houlihan’s Acorns is in 55 Words. (If you can’t plug your friends’ work, what good is a blog?)
November 24, 2006

>LitMag Wave: One Story #70

>Number 70 of One Story is “Baton Rouge: A Doctor Story” by Matt Clark. It’s a collage story, in the sense that the author…
November 23, 2006

>Mistake Number 2

>2. Don’t Consider Yourself Too Smart. I certainly agree with this one. Bickham suggests posting a sign on your desk: NEVER WRITE DOWN TO…
November 22, 2006

>Birds of Providence (Part 4)

>Part 4 of Jim Tomlinson’s “Birds of Providence” is now live at Velocity Weekly. Update (11/23/06): Speaking of Jim, today’s New York Times carries…
November 21, 2006

>LitMag Wave: Salt Hill 18

>Reading the fiction in Salt Hill 18, I at first thought the magazine was dedicated to coming of age stories. The first piece, “Spying…
November 20, 2006

>Mistake Number 1

>Awhile ago at the Green Valley Book Fair I picked up a copy (cheap) of Jack M. Bickham’s thin book The 38 Most Common…
November 19, 2006

>Sunday Miscellany

>Football. I wasn’t able to watch the UM/OSU game yesterday because I don’t get ABC, but since ESPN was running constant updates I did…
November 16, 2006

>National Book Awards

>The National Book Award for fiction went to The Echo Maker by Richard Powers. No real surprise there, from what I’ve heard. It sounds…