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.
September 23, 2013

Hampton Roads Writers’ Conference 2013

For the past several days, I had the pleasure of being down in Virginia Beach for the 5th Annual Hampton Roads Writers’ Conference. I…
September 22, 2013

Reading at The Writer’s Center

I had the pleasure and honor today of reading at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. This was especially meaningful to me because it…
September 22, 2013

2013 Reading: Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson This book was the September selection for my Reading Liberally Book Club. And…
September 17, 2013

2013 Reading: Secure the Shadow by Claudia Emerson

Secure the Shadow: Poems by Claudia Emerson. I would have read this collection even if it weren’t a finalist for the Library of Virginia Award…
September 16, 2013

2013 Reading: Come August, Come Freedom by Gigi Amateau

Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel by Gigi Amateau In this book for younger readers (12 and up),…
September 16, 2013

The New Yorker: “Bad Dreams” by Tessa Hadley

September 23, 2013: “Bad Dreams” by Tessa Hadley Q&A with Tessa Hadley Ugh. Not another Tessa Hadley story, I complained (even though I usually…
September 13, 2013

2013 Reading: Bones of an Inland Sea by Mary Akers

Bones of an Inland Sea by Mary Akers This is a wonderful collection of stories (linked thematically and with some character connections) by a good…
September 13, 2013

2013 Reading: The First Man by Albert Camus

The First Man by Albert Camus Unquestionably, Camus was one of the most influential writers and thinkers of the 20th Century. The Stranger is one of…
September 9, 2013

The New Yorker: “By Fire” by Tahar Ben Jelloun

September 16, 2013: “By Fire” by Tahar Ben Jelloun Q&A with Tahar Ben Jelloun This isn’t a short story so much as a barely…
September 8, 2013

Writing in Coffee Shops

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of work in coffee shops. I’m not sure why, but I find it stimulating (and not just because…