LITERARY YEARNINGS: ROCK STARS AND THE AUTHORS WHO LOVE THEM

By JODIE MORSE/NEW YORK

Indie rock may be hot, but who expected it to attract the most reclusive--and eccentric--of the literary breed? After nearly four decades in hiding, novelist THOMAS PYNCHON has come out as a fan of the band LOTION. The author of Gravity's Rainbow wrote liner notes for the group's latest album, Nobody's Cool, and furthermore, brings them not-to-be-scoffed-at publicity via his interview with the band in the June issue of Esquire. Pynchon first befriended Lotion like any other groupie--by religiously attending the band's shows. (He's had other musical interests: he wrote the liners for Spiked!, the 1994 re-issue of the hits of bandleader Spike Jones.)

Other literary celebrities, like WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS (Naked Lunch), are devoted to rock. He masterminded The "Priest" They Called Him, a spoken-word album with music by KURT COBAIN.

STEPHEN KING, another hermit of literature, has long been enamored of the RAMONES. The group's music crops up regularly in the movie versions of his books; he has also been known to frequent Ramones' concerts. But King makes his own music: he plays lead guitar for the all-writer band the Rock Bottom Remainders. The group covers a litany of rock favorites, dubbed "hard-listening music" by band member (and humor columnist) Dave Barry. To the tune of These Boots Are Made for Walking, fellow Remainder (and novelist) Amy Tan dons a tight leather jumpsuit and whips other band members. Says Barry: "We try to be moderately entertaining, so people don't know how bad we are."

--By Jodie Morse/New York