Clarence Major is the author of nine books of poetry and seven novels, most recently Painted Turtle: Woman With Guitar, which was cited as a New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year in 1988. He regularly reviews books for The Washington Post Book World and has contributed to The Kenyon Review, The American Poetry Review, Essence, and numerous other periodicals and anthologies. He is currently directing the Creative Writing Program at the University of California, Davis.