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Rumpus Book ClubOne more post about Rick Moody (Or, why we’re giving Richard Hutzler a copy of Rick Moody’s forthcoming novel The Four Fingers of Death)
Richard Hutzler writes:
Thank you for the opportunity to apply for an advanced copy of The Four Fingers of Death. I’ve been trying to imagine how silly/wild I might get for this e-mail as my argument why I should receive a copy…but it’s 104 degrees here in New York City and even with the air conditioner on I feel like a shrimp on a griddle, so my brain is a bit foggy/addled at the moment.
But here are a few reasons why I would like to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book:
I’m pretty sure I have read every book Rick Moody has published or edited or been involved with, including A Joyful Noise and The Wilco Book.
I was one of the few people alive, apparently, who adored his last novel, The Diviners. I found the opening salvo (or “credits”)–which even the late, great John Leonard sort of panned in his review–awe-inspiringly beautiful….reminiscent a little of the opening of Purple America, but even better…
I share his first name, though now I try to make everyone call me Richard. Why? I don’t know. Rick is a pretty cool name.
I’ve been dying to read this book ever since I first heard glimmers of it, way back about 14 months ago or so.
I have students in my “Writing New York” college course (the one I teach, I mean) read Rick’s “The Grid” from one of the greatest short story/novella collections I’ve ever read, The Ring of Brightest Angels Around Heaven (for which I still own my first edition)…
If I even THINK of his story “Demonology,” I begin to cry. Then I think of the Chicken Mask in the story “The Mansion on the Hill,” and I laugh, and then cry a little more, while smiling.
I could probably go on, but I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than read my ramblings. They are quite sincere, however, and so I hope I hope I hope you will choose to send me a copy of The Four Fingers of Death! Please!
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