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 12, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Big Cat” by Louise Erdrich

March 31, 2014: “The Big Cat” by Louise Erdrich I admire Louise Erdrich’s work, and I liked this story in which a man marries…
January 11, 2015

2015 Reading: House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

House of Sand & Fog by Andre Dubus III Parts of this book were impressive. In particular, I thought the sections told from the point…
January 11, 2015

Late Last Night Books: Interview with Me

Sally Whitney, author of the forthcoming novel Surface and Shadow, interviews me at the great blogzine, Late Last Night Books. Interview with Clifford Garstang
January 10, 2015

Used Book Discovery: A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

We have a couple of used book stores in my town, in addition to the stores that sell new books and the shops that…
January 10, 2015

2015 Reading: Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights by Katha Pollitt

Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights by Katha Pollitt As a pro-choice pragmatist (that’s a liberal who understand that compromise is necessary to achieve progress), I was…
January 9, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden” by Denis Johnson

March 3, 2014: “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden” by Denis Johnson You won’t learn too much from the Q&A with Denis Johnson that…
January 8, 2015

The New Yorker: “Come Together” by Karl Ove Knausgaard

February 17 & 24, 2014: “Come Together” by Karl Ove Knausgaard As we learn from the Q&A with Karl Ove Knausgaard, this “story” is…
January 5, 2015

The New Yorker: “The Crabapple Tree” by Robert Coover

January 12, 2015: “The Crabapple Tree” by Robert Coover Coover’s story from last January, “The Frog Prince,” is what ended my New Yorker commentaries,…
January 5, 2015

2015 Reading: Creative Nonfiction, Issue 53, Fall 2014

My subscription to Creative Nonfiction is new and this is the first issue I’ve read. I read essays from time to time, of course,…
January 4, 2015

The New Yorker: “Moonlit Landscape with Bridge” by Zadie Smith

February 10, 2014 “Moonlit Landscape with Bridge” by Zadie Smith I enjoyed this story, and also enjoyed the Q&A with Zadie Smith which sheds…