The truth is that I am just a very referential writer. And my problem is that I’ve got a very Catholic taste. There’s a hell of a lot of Bible stuff in there too. But you see a Bible reference and are like, “Oh, well, the author is well-learned,” or, “The author is extremely Catholic.” You come by the classics. There’s a hell of a lot of references to Greek mythology, to Homer, to The Iliad. And then you come across a Llamas with Hats reference. And it’s not because I set about to make the book particularly memey, it’s just because I’ve got a shit sense of humor. I think of John 3:16 the same way I think about none pizza with left beef.
I think one problem is that I am kind of poking fun at myself as a writer. It’s like, I only get to make the highfalutin’ Rainer Maria Rilke references so long as I’m also making references to Homestar Runner. It’s almost like I’ve got to pay the toll. Or is it the other way around? Like, if I’m going to make these references I have to get the Bible in there somewhere?
— Tamsyn Muir, Vox Interview, February 5, 2021