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April 5, 2001
| DISPATCHES |
ndie rock's brainiest band, Pavement, stopped making records in 1999, but lead singer-songwriter Stephen Malkmus had other plans. The thirty-four year old's eponymous solo debut (Matador Records) has just hit stores, and it's part Pavement, all Malkmus — quirky and sophisticated, tender and sharp. Stephen lives in Portland, Oregon, in a rambling house on a quiet middle-class street with his girlfriend of four years, writer Heather Larimer. He greeted me at the door wearing boxers and a T-shirt, and then took me on a tour of his bedroom. The walls were pale peach. A drawing of what looked like a swarm of sperm on a tarot card was tacked to the wall above their utilitarian but comfortable bed. Although a perfectly sumptuous green velour chair sat in the corner, I ignored it and lounged on the bed with Stephen and Heather for a chat. —Cheryl Strayed|
CS: What's the most important thing in this room? Stephen Malkmus: The bed. Heather Larimer: I love this bed. CS: Is this bed your favorite place to have sex? SM: Yeah. SM: We've done it outside and it's been good. SM: Probably, yeah. It depends on how horny I was. I hate that adjective. I think I could. Some women are into that, too. Maybe it's that the orgasm isn't the thing. Maybe it's just the thrill of being bad or dangerous. SM: At first, when I was really young, I just played sports in there, and then when I got older it was my jack-off palace. I had the same posters on the wall for, like, ten years. Farrah Fawcett posters. SM: Yeah. I didn't know why, but other people told me she was cool and I got a signed photograph of her. Now she lives in Sun Valley where my parents live and I see her jogging around. SM: Not really, no. A couple of stalkers. But we didn't have groupies in Pavement. We were just very straight to the bus from the back of the dressing room. And then we'd go to some bar that was really smoky and gross. SM: Not our music. I guess it's too dorky. We're like this Protestant anti-sex band. SM: If you want really macho, aggressive porn music, it's definitely not that. But that's not sexy anyway. SM: That's 'cause you think I'm sexy. SM: I never listen to music when I have sex because it's the one time I don't have to. The music I like is generally unsexy. I'm talking Captain Beefheart and blues — most of which is made by ancient, poor black men from the South. Some might find their singing sexy, but I just find it more spiritual. SM: I don't really take advantage of it. You could worry about gold diggers, but this is indie rock, so there isn't much— SM: The only thing that fame has done is that people come to you a bit more and you don't reach out quite as much, so Heather spends more time on top. SM: More or less. SM: No. Not that kind of boss. She's like, "Let's do it." Yeah. And once it's rolling, I'm there. I'm in the game. SM: Hardcore. SM: I don't know — nuns in black leather. [Heather laughs.] SM: It's a rhombus. SM: [Draws a leaning square.] I'm not quite a square. SM: Sometimes I don't take a shower before I have sex. |
Commentarium (17 Comments)
I'm sorry, but could these interview questions be any more high school titillation lame?
I mean seriously...what's literate smut about:
I heard you play Scrabble. If you had to spell a Scrabble word that would describe you as a lover, what would it be?
Geez...that isn't even prurient
sigh...where's the psychology? This is more like a did you do it in a box? Did you do it wearing sox?
pathetic. stomach-turning. BORING. makes me question humanity.
I've been a fan of Stephen Malkmus since high school & I've never seenan interview like this....where he was so open about his sex life. What an awesome article!!! Kudos!
The questions weren't the most thought provoking, but that's fine because I can't concentrate on the text. I'm too busy having sex fantasies about that photo of Malkmus.
Eons ago as a college frosh, I tried interviewing him after a Pavement show for a college radio station. The only thing I have on tape is his flat response, "I don't feel like talking about myself or my music."
I felt affronted that evening but after reading many later interviews I realized that that was one of the best things he could ever say. His distant and introverted persona was what kept people like me interested. William Safire recently quoted Napoleon which seems oddly appropriate here: "From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step."
I think his girlfriend comes off sounding incredibly unintelligentm but I think it's a really cute idea for a story. I love Stephen Malkmus, and it's definitely the most revealing thing I've ever read about him. Good job.
Anna - read this - interesting marker/spin for the Chat Pad segment. By the way, Steven Malkmus is a complete and utter spunk
What a great interview. I love Stephen Malkmus and have for ages and ages and have never read an interview where he is as open as he was in this one. To the reader who thought the questions stupid, I think you missed the point. They were having fun, so that we can have fun reading it. And I for one, had a blast. Sure, sex is smart and literate and all that, but it's also fun and funny and silly too. Thank you miz Strayed. You went right for it and got it.
PS. Also your story "Good" killed me. It was incredibly honest and well written.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I'm fascinated, but perhaps not obsessed, by the construction of adjectives from nouns--especially proper nouns. And ESPECIALLY proper in cases where the newly constructed adejective forms itself in an irregular manner, i.e., "Shavian" from "[George Bernard] Shaw", due to the fact that, formed in a regular manner, the resultant adjective would sound awkward (i.e.. "Shawian"). To wit, it's just occured to me that "Malkmussy" is a pretty funny word. My question is this: what adjectival form of his surname does Malkmus prefer?
I would be most grateful if you could ask him and pass along the results to me. Thanks for your time and efforts on my behalf.
Cheers,
Dr. Andrew J. Madigan
Professor of English Literature
Zayed University
Dubai, UAE
reading that made me want to die.
the interview is great you bunch of fuckers
Your writing is simple great, Especially for beginners!
hi man wazzup? I just wanted to say that my internet explorer is freezing when I try double click on the pics… are you using some non standard scripts or something?
ha-ha-ha-ha! That is standart point of view, be more original!
thrteterherher
interesting how some things posted on the internet endure into the next decade. this interview must be an especially fun read for sm's wife. Maaaan, if there was a page devoted to what i used to do with my ex, my present chick would be setting fire to my captain beefheart lps, regardless of whether they're sexy or unsexy to listen to. we need a grandfather clause for expiration on interviews that a) are likely to piss off one's wife, and b) bad record reviews. know wot i mean? like when Pig Lib was released, the usual gang of idiots said 'oh, it's too weird! it's not a good album!". cause they only hear the thing once before their deadline. This many years hence, of course, we now know pig lib to be sm's sgt. pepper. i digress....
Always a good job right here. Keep rolnlig on through.