Openly Gay New Yorker Music Critic Given Genius Grant

New Yorker music critic Alex Ross can officially tell people he's a genius -- or rather, a recipient of a genius grant, that is. The 40-year-old openly gay writer has won a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant."

Considered to be an expert on classical music, the author of the much admired 2007 book The Rest is Noise pocketed $500,000 along with the honor. Distributed over five years, the money has no strings attached.

Ross, one of 25 award recipients, told MediaBistro's FishBowlNY blog the honor came as a total shock.

"The stock market was crashing that day, and a couple of times in the morning I saw this mysterious call coming in from Chicago, which seemed ominous," he said. "I thought they were trying to repossess my cats or something, so I didn't pick up. Finally [editor] David Remnick tracked me down at The New Yorker and told me not to move until the phone rang."

Ross says he plans to use the award money to take time off during the writing of his next book and travel for research. He says that unlike his last book, which was written late into the night and on breaks from work in coffee shops, the grant will allow him "more breathing room." (The Advocate)