first sufjan interview in a long time and itās awesome
image description under the cut:
a screenshot from an interview with Sufjan Stevens in Vulture conducted by Craig Jenkins. transcript:
JENKINS: Thereās a certain subset of song you write that, depending on a listenerās perspective, can scan as either deeply religious or potentially quite sensual. This is a thread in āJohn My Belovedā and āTo Be Alone With Youā and āJavelin (to Have and to Hold).ā What inspires that train of thought?
SUFJAN: The religious is very sexual. Itās erotic. Look at Catholic art through the ages, Baroque art. Itās all very fleshy and sensual and full of naked bodies. Iāve always embraced that. Iāve always felt that my relationship to God is a very intimate and sensual one. Sacraments are. Itās engaging with God in a physical way. Youāre literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood of God during the Eucharist. It doesnāt get much more erotic than that. If youāre a vampire, thatās the ultimate erotic experience.
JENKINS: Most people who lurk the texts donāt luxuriate in the closeness of Jonathan and David.
SUFJAN: The Bibleās very gay. Just all men. Thatās what you get when thereās a patriarchy thatās endured for so long. Jesus was single, never married; Disciples were all dudesāÆā¦