FishbowlNY interviews Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker and author of The Rest is Noise, shortly after he was named one of 25 recipients of the 2008 MacArthur Foundations Genius Fellowships.

1. What was your initial reaction when you received the phone call?
It took me totally by surprise. 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. I thought they were trying to repossess my cats or something, so I didn’t pick up. Finally David Remnick tracked me down at The New Yorker and told me not to move until the phone rang. I was overwhelmed in every possible way and couldn’t think of anything coherent to say. I still feel that way; I couldn’t be more grateful for this huge recognition.

Ross, no stranger to the Y, returns in November to discuss “Falling in Love with Modern Music.” In the meantime, you can read our 2007 interview with him and check out the iPod playlist he made specifically for the Y.

Related: 2008-09 Concert Season at the Y