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 10, 2005

>Deer Image by Wang Wei

> by Wang Wei The pristine mountain has not seen man, Has only heard the sound of his voice; Return to nature and enter…
February 7, 2005

>Blog Fallout

>I hesitate to post, if only because I like the picture of Grace & Bob so much and don’t want to move it down…
February 4, 2005

>Grace and Bob

>Grace Paley & Bob Nichols   –photograph by Marion Lewis, Tepoztlan, Mexico, January 2005
February 4, 2005

>In the Air

>Bob Nichols is the husband of Grace Paley. He is a wonderfully funny man who also is a writer. During my recent workshop with…
February 3, 2005

>Embarrassment

>I travel overseas often, mostly to Asia but in 2004 also to Central America and Europe. Not since the 70’s, when I first went…
February 2, 2005

>End in Sight–again

>I’ve been working on yet another revision to my novel. When it was my MFA thesis, it was described as “complex” and “ambitious,” and…
February 2, 2005

>State of Disunion

>Except that (i) we have a President who is a fascist liar (for which reason I won’t be watching his speech this evening–what would…
February 1, 2005

>Premature

>Let’s just say it’s a little early to declare the election (either Iraq’s or ours) a success. John Coyne, founder of Peace Corps Writers,…
January 31, 2005

>I had a dream . . .

>In which I was walking down a city street–Chicago, I think–and came across the headquarters of Poets & Writers. The building was grand and…
January 31, 2005

>Shaved Ice

>When it snowed here last week, I didn’t bother to shovel. There was warmer weather predicted, there wasn’t much to begin with, and what…