Gay Place Interviews Stephin Merritt
Gay bars, film in L.A., country houses, and 12-year-old pop stars.
By Andy Campbell, 4:59PM, Tue. Nov. 9, 2010
In honor of the return of ex-Austinite Kerthy Fix's new documentary Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields we thought it would be a good idea to talk to Mr. Merritt himself. What we discussed ran the gamut, and it was just too good to leave to transcription.
Many writers point to Merritt's dry, laconic wit, and there's certainly plenty of that here, but he's also a committed film fan – a fact not lost to those who attend the Alamo Drafthouse screenings of Fix's film this week. (If you can, buy your tickets for the Wednesday showing – they're almost gone – as you won't be disappointed.) Filmed over a 10-year period, Strange Powers is a subtle and meditative documentary, a picture of Merritt's mind and the close relationship shared with longtime collaborator and Magnetic Fields manager/member Claudia Gonson. But for now – listen on!
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Music, Gay, Queer, Lesbian, Bisexual, LGBTQ, Stephin Merritt, Magnetic Fields, Manor House genres, Film Fandom, 92nd St. YMCA, Coraline, Strange Powers, Kerthy Fix