I am in love

with Sufjan Stevens.

This man is a brilliant poet and a musical genius. He has composed a beautiful lyric about the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Jr. His song titles alone often stand as self-contained verse. My personal favorite of this ilk is "Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals As I Run", though "To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves an Inner Tube, Bath Mats, and 21 Able-bodied Men" has its merit as well. He plays the banjo, musically, without twang. He also plays the oboe, and well. He paints intricately beautiful musical landscapes ranging from a delightfully cacophonous hometown marching band to a pleasantly chaotic swirling flurry of delicate snowflakes on a magically bright winter day. And as if that weren't enough, here is a direct quote extracted from his recently-released Christmas album: "your mom's goin' to the country."