Brentwood Literary Stroll 2023

Mark R. Clifford is a proud fourth-generation San Franciscan. He is the second-born in an Irish Catholic family of seven, making him a self-declared expert in the pseudoscience of birth order characteristics. Mark served in the Marine infantry for ten years and as a Police Officer for over a quarter-century. His debut novel, TYPHOON COAST, is about what troubles him. In the Marines, Mark rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received Special Operations training while in Okinawa and was operating in the Philippines in 1991 during the historic eruption of Mount Pinatubo. His law enforcement career was equally eclectic. He rose to the sergeant’s rank and served in many assignments to include SWAT and undercover narcotics. Mark and his wife have been married for almost thirty years and have raised three beautiful children. He has written for the San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Military Experience & The Arts magazine, and San Leandro Times. He is the current Program Chair for the California Writers Club. In his retirement, Mark mentors veterans through musician Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground. You can also enjoy Mark’s podcast. Every episode of “Heroes For Hope: Thriving Beyond Trauma,” survivors tell stories that bridge the culture gap and create a shared perspective.