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.
August 13, 2006

>Sunday Miscellany–8/13

>Titles. Did you see “Titles That Didn’t Smell as Sweet” in the New York Times today? I wish it had stuck with book titles,…
August 11, 2006

>The Emperor’s Children

>The September 2006 issue of The Atlantic Monthly includes a brief review (in “New Fiction”) by Elizabeth Judd of Claire Messud’s new novel (due…
August 10, 2006

>Fair Game

>I worked last night at the Augusta County Fair, at the Augusta County Democratic Committee booth. Since our district did not manage to find…
August 9, 2006

>To hyphenate or not to hyphenate: a well-timed question

>This might be a case of a little knowledge being dangerous. I understand, or have lately come to understand, the value of phrasal adjectives….
August 8, 2006

>FailBetter

>Issue 21 is live at FailBetter.com.
August 8, 2006

>Peace Corps Writers

>PeaceCorpsWriters.org has announced its annual awards, for books published in 2005. While you’re there, check out the latest issue.
August 8, 2006

>Revisions

>Unfortunately, revisions are a fact of the fiction writer’s life. You write a story, edit it to your satisfaction, and send it out into…
August 6, 2006

>Sunday Miscellany

>Abigail Thomas. Perhaps you saw this in the Sunday Times today: “My Husband Survived, the Man I Married Didn’t”. I’ve been an admirer of…
August 5, 2006

>Avery Anthology

>Here’s a question for you: what’s the difference between an anthology and a litmag, particularly when both publish a couple of times a year,…
August 4, 2006

>One Book

>A Friday meme (thanks to Emerging Writers Network): One book that changed your life. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Not only did it excite me…