As the debate over gun control is relaunched in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, there is another conversation taking place over the mental health resources available to troubled youth like the shooter, Adam Lanza. Rick Moody is someone who has thought a lot about access to mental health services. He's the author of "The Ice Storm," and he recalls being a "troubled kid in Connecticut."

It’s no secret that novelist Rick Moody (The Ice Storm; The Four Fingers of Death) is a music fan. Song runs through his writing – and his albums, as solo artist and with his band, the Wingdale Community Singers. Now, the best-selling writer has a new release: a collection of essays called “On Celestial Music - And Other Adventures in Listening.” He joins us for a look at the link between literary writing and music, and more.

In his new essay collection, "On Celestial Music - Adventures in Listening" Rick Moody says he just can't stop listening to music. We'll find out what he's tuning into lately, in this week's Pick Three.

What is Rick Moody's favorite novel? Read more to find out!

Rick Moody talks about his ninth book, The Four Fingers of Death. Set in the year 2025, it tells the story of a downtrodden writer who lands himself a job writing a novelization of a 1963 B-movie horror classic. The B-movie, "The Crawling Hand," is about a mission to Mars gone awry.

Long before R&B singer Janelle Monae invented an android alter ego, and even before David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust, science fiction has had a powerful grip on popular music. Today: we explore the power of a literary genre that continues to shape music on the dance floor (as in the latest songs of Christina Aguilera) and in films (Hans Zimmer’s score to the sci-fi thriller “Inception”). 

The indie band features David Grubbs, Hannah Marcus, and Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm, Purple America, and other novels. They join Kurt in the studio to play a few tunes and talk about their music.

Event
There will be a reading of the book tonight at The New School featuring Franzen, author Sarah Vowell and actress Parker Posey among others.

Question of ...

Three singer-songwriter-musicians for the price of one. This band-without-a-front-man is fronted by David Grubbs, Hannah Marcus, and Rick Moody — yes, that Rick Moody (author of The Ice Storm, Purple America, and other novels). They join Kurt in the studio to play a few tunes and talk about their ...

Rick Moody burst on the scene in the 90s with novels about the dark side of suburban America. He's best known for his book The Ice Storm which was made into a film in 1997. Moody told us how he fell in love with the grunge and ...