Spinal Fluid And Stoned Dads

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There's an interview with Sufjan Stevens in the New York Times here upon the release of his latest epic fiddle-dee-dee The Age of Adz, and I found this pair of passages pretty revealing about him.

"... in 2009 [Sufjan] began to suffer intense shooting pains in his limbs, scuttling a planned tour for “The BQE.” He visited countless doctors, but the problem was never diagnosed, and it took six months for him to feel O.K. “It was really debilitating,” he said. “But at the same time, I felt a kind of enthusiasm for the vastness of mystery contained in the body.” If “The Age of Adz” has a setting, he said, it is that: “my physical body, my feelings, touch, the nerves, anxiety, the chemistry of the brain and the spinal fluid.”

... “I remember once when I was a kid and I was showing an interest in art and music, and my dad sat me down and said, ‘All art comes from the dark side,’ ” he said. “He said the dark side isn’t evil or bad but that’s where it resides, and if you choose a creative life, then you’re choosing to reside in the darkness.” He paused. “I don’t know where he’s getting that from. Maybe he was high or something. But that really has stayed with me.”

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