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.
December 29, 2013

The New Yorker: “The Late Novels of Gene Hackman” by Rivka Galchen

December 9, 2013: “The Late Novels of Gene Hackman” by Rivka Galchen There isn’t too much to be learned from the Q&A with Rivka…
December 23, 2013

The New Yorker: “The Christmas Miracle” by Rebecca Curtis

December 23 & 30: “The Christmas Miracle” by Rebecca Curtis Wow. This story did nothing for me at all. While I admire the story’s…
December 5, 2013

Interview up at Street Talk

The kind folks at Braddock Avenue Books have posted an interview with me in their Street Talk Series. Please take a moment to look…
December 3, 2013

The New Yorker: “Roadkill” by Romesh Gunesekera

December 2, 2013: “Roadkill” by Romesh Gunesekera Q&A with Romesh Gunesekera This story reminds me of my one and only visit to Sri Lanka….
December 1, 2013

Philosophy Project

College was a long time ago, but I was a philosophy major. I chose philosophy because I was intrigued, nothing else particular grabbed me,…
November 29, 2013

On the Air

I just did my first radio interview. I’ve done podcasts and blog-talk internet “radio” before, but this was the first time in a radio…
November 25, 2013

The New Yorker: “Kilfi Creek” by Lionel Shriver

November 25, 2013: “Kilfi Creek” by Lionel Shriver This is a readable story, if only because one wants to know if the protagonist, Liana,…
November 24, 2013

The New Yorker: “Find the Bad Guy” by Jeffrey Eugenides

November 18, 2013: “Find the Bad Guy” by Jeffrey Eugenides There’s not a lot to learn from the Q&A with Jeffrey Eugenides, but there…
November 6, 2013

Visiting Writer at Randolph College

I am in the middle of a four-week stay as the Visiting Writer at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. It’s been a blast so…
November 6, 2013

The New Yorker: “Benji” by Chinelo Okparanta

November 11, 2013: “Benji” by Chinelo Okparanta I guess unlikable characters are a thing now, because it’s hard to like any of these people….