The Hope College Visiting Writers Series will feature Rick Moody, author of "The Ice Storm" and several other books, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Moody's most recent book is a memoir, "The Black Veil," which describes his decade of abuse of alcohol and other drugs, leading to time in a psychiatric hospital.
Thomas Pynchon says of the book that "Rick Moody, writing with boldness, humor, generosity of spirit, and a welcome sense of wrath, takes the art of the memoir an important step into its future."
Moody's short stories have appeared in "The New Yorker," "Esquire," "The Paris Review" and "Harper's."
At just 41 years of age, Moody has moved from being an upcoming young writer to an established literary figure. His 1994 novel, "The Ice Storm," received critical acclaim, and was made into a successful movie starring Kevin Kline. His other novels include "Purple America" and "Garden State," and he has had two collections of short stories published as well.
He also edited "Joyful Noise: The New Testament Revisited," a collection of original essays by 21 prominent writers who talk about what the New Testament means to them today.In 1997, "Entertainment Weekly" named him one of top 100 creative people for 1997, reflecting his popularity. But he is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and his works are now appearing in literary anthologies.
A graduate of Brown and Columbia universities, Moody has created a fresh style. The literary magazine, "Salon," says Moody's work is "something like Cheever crossed with Pynchon, ... (he) throws down a literary gauntlet to all serious young writers."
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 East 8th Street in downtown Holland.