Writer, singer, composer and poet Rick Moody first gained widespread acclaim with his 1994 novel, The Ice Storm, a portrait of dysfunctional suburban life that plays out over the course of a long Thanksgiving weekend. In 1999, The New Yorker named Moody one of America’s most talented new writers, with a voice that constantly pushes the stylistic boundaries of modern literature. He has published five novels, three collections of short fiction and two nonfiction works. He also performs with the Wingdale Community Singers, an acoustic band that blends the sounds of old-time folk, gospel and bluegrass, with hints of rock and baroque chamber music to augment their arch, literary lyrics. Their most recent album is Night, Sleep, Death, released only on LP by Drag City. Moody will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Moody: Look, I’m allowed to favor the occasional bit of trash with my attentions, too! Other people watch Wives with Knives. I like Extreme Weight Loss in part because its new name is even dumber than its former name (Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition). If you think the abuse of the word extreme has gone as far as it can go, you are wrong. No one yet has tried to sell the phrase Extreme Laundry! Or Extreme Bacon Bits! There are no classes yet in Extreme Serenity! Nor is there yet an Extreme Air Freshener! On Extreme Weight Loss, in stark contrast to The Biggest Loser, in which we are encouraged to think of the morbidly obese as losers, Chris Powell engages in radical sympathy with his charges, and he encourages them not just to lose weight, but to transform themselves through crypto-psycho-therapy and life coachery. His guru qualities are frankly like Jesus of Nazareth, and his shortness and metrosexuality, these make him easy to love. Moreover, season three has had so many excellent curveballs: co-dependent food-addict twins! An Iranian DJ who lies about how much weight he has lost! An unhappy obese married couple! Chris Powell believes in all the lost and neglected, feels what they feel, and he therefore cares more about you than your elected officials, or your priest. I wish Powell would come help me lose 10 pounds.
Video after the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI65HdkuPdk
