Writing | IndieMuse

I went through a period when I wasn’t listening to Sufjan Stevens on a regular basis, but that is no more. The break I took made me appreciate his music all over again. In particular, I have been obsessed with the first track on Illinoise, “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL.”

You may not be aware of the fact that Sufjan is a writer, outside of being a lyricist, having received a MFA in creative writing. Over the years, he has written many short stories and essays. Several months ago, I found a site, All Good Naysayers, that has many of his published works. I haven’t had a chance to go through everything he’s written, but am impressed and entertained by those which I have read. If you are a Sufjan Stevens fan, and want to get a little more intimate with him as a person, and his music, I highly recommend you go read these. Perhaps to start out, you can read the 2006 cover story Stevens’ wrote for Topic Magazine. He discusses music experiences he had while growing up as a kid. I have posted the whole essay below, click on the pictures to read. Then go to All Good Naysayers (linked to writing section) to read additional short stories.