Who says the great American novel is dead? Actually, Lee Siegel did in the July 2010 edition of The New York Observer. But that’s beside the point, because the work of American-born novelist Rick Moody is an eloquent, masterful slap in the face to the naysayers denying the power and prowess of American literature. Moody will be reading at the UA Poetry Center this Thursday, as a part of the UA Prose Reading Series.

Moody is a New York native who spent his adolescent years in the suburbia of Connecticut. His novels are based in the strange landscape of an American suburb, and Moody deftly navigates the nuances of this terrain. His novels have garnered serious critical acclaim and controversy  — Moody has developed somewhat of a cult following. Perhaps the most pivotal of his works, “”The Ice Storm”” has been adapted to the big screen.

Moody’s work is smart and complicated, showcasing his mastery of language. Among his awards, “”Garden State”” received the Pushcart Editor’s Choice Award and his memoir “”The Black Veil”” (2002) won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir. “”The Ice Storm,”” Moody’s novel about two suburban neighboring families in the 1970s, is a provocative, controversial and contemporary work. It has been hailed as a most poignant examination of Americana and was adapted for film in 1997 by Ang Lee, with an impressive cast including Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline.

Moody, a Columbia alumnus, released his latest novel, “”The Four Fingers of Death,”” on July 28. He has been featured in numerous publications including The New Yorker, Harper’s, Details, and Esquire. Moody is also a co-founder of the Young Lions Fiction Award at the New York Public Library.

Moody will be reading selected excerpts of his prose this Thursday at 8 p.m.