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 17, 2015

The New Yorker: “Camilo” by Alejandro Zambra

May 26, 2014: “Camilo” by Alejandro Zambra In this story, the narrator is a young boy when his father’s godson comes to visit for…
February 16, 2015

2015 Reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery I’m not sure what to think of this book. On the one hand, I recognize that much…
February 16, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Waitress” by Robert Coover

May 19, 2014: “The Waitress” by Robert Coover The Q&A with Robert Coover doesn’t help. I’m just not a fan of these reimagined fairy…
February 15, 2015

The New Yorker: “Labyrinth” by Amelia Gray

February 16, 2015: “Labyrinth” by Amelia Gray In the Q&A with Amelia Gray we learn that the story is a retelling of the Theseus…
February 14, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Fugitive” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya

May 12, 2014: “The Fugitive” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya Q&A with Lyudmila Ulitskaya It’s unfair, I suppose, to apply American standards of story-telling to a…
February 11, 2015

WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW reviewed at Late Last Night Books

You go months or years without a review and then two are published in the same week. Go figure. Please check out this review…
February 10, 2015

2015 Reading: Unpacking the Boxes by Donald Hall

Unpacking the Boxes: A Memoir of a Life in Poetry by Donald Hall Over the years I have read an occasional Donald Hall poem, but…
February 9, 2015

WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW reviewed at Peace Corps Writers

Despite the best efforts of my publisher, Press 53, and my own due diligence, my book WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW received few serious…
February 8, 2015

New Magazine: Sixpenny

Just heard about Sixpenny, a new magazine of six-minute illustrated fictions. Set to launch next week. Check it out!
February 7, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Naturals” by Sam Lipsyte

May 5, 2014: “The Naturals” by Sam Lipsyte Caperton is a consultant (in what area isn’t exactly clear—landscaping?) but is on his way from…