“He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime—precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”  Sufjan Stevens shares with us an insight into their personal, intimate life.

Stevens has dedicated his new album, Javelin, to his late partner, Evans Richardson IV, who died in April at the age of 43. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy.”  Richardson was the chief of staff at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. Also engaged as the chair of the American Alliance of Museums Accreditation Commission.

Stevens has used his Tumblr to share personal messages and has been exceptionally active on the platform in the lead-up to Javelin. He announced last month that he is undergoing intensive treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome, and shared regular updates on his status and progress as he lives with and receives care for the rare auto-immune disorder.

“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April. He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime—precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”

 Stevens echoes his devotion to friendship, to love. In all of its glory and through the difficulties. He reminds us of our individual, yet collectively precious lives. A remembrance of all that lives/ has lived, having an eternal beauty, to be cherished and adored upon.

If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it, and give it everything you’ve got, especially in times of trouble. Be kind, be strong, be patient, be forgiving, be vigorous, be wise, and be yourself. Live every day as if it is your last, with fullness and grace, with reverence and love, with gratitude and joy. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Javelin:

01 Goodbye Evergreen
02 A Running Start
03 Will Anybody Ever Love Me?
04 Everything That Rises
05 Genuflecting Ghost
06 My Red Little Fox
07 So You Are Tired
08 Javelin (To Have and to Hold)
09 Shit Talk
10 There’s a World