1) How has been able to maintain his Jewish faith while not only delving in to other religions and their impact and meanings but also following buddhism to a huge degree as well? Has music, poetry and literature helped him do you think?
2) I learned that he suffered from depression for many, many years. Do you think, after reading here about the things he writes about, his feelings towards life, love, politics etc., that being able to expresss himself so well eventually cured him of his depression (I mention that it has lessened in recent years) or if it was the reason he became so depressed in the first place?
3) How do you think it is possible that someone who has been working for 55 years, and who is in his late 70's, can still write create literature, songs, poetry and prose, that is still relevant today? Does that mean that peopl eare always inherently the same within?
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Pictures and Quotes-extras you might be interested in seeing
"My writing process is like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it.”- Leonard Cohen to an Interviewer, 1998
Young Leonard
"He is extremely well regarded by critics for his literary accomplishments, for the richness of his lyrics, and for producing an output of work of high artistic quality over a five-decade career"-unknown
Leonard Recently
Where did I find my information?
"Cohen's "you have the lovers"." leonardcohenforum.com. speaking cohen. n.d web. July 2011
"The 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame" http://www.leonardcohenhallsoffame.com/. The Leonard Cohen Hall of Fame. web. July 2011
Grant, Judith. "Leonard Cohen's Poems-Songs". Studies in Canadian Literature. 2.1 (1977). n. pag. Web. July 2011
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SUZANNE-lyrics-Leonard-Cohen/35368C7934C68C3748256AF0002649BC
Verdal, Suzanne. Personal Interview. "You probably think this song is about you" By Kate Saunders, BBC Radio 4 FM, June 1998.
"Leonard Cohen Bio". http://www.leonardcohen.com/bio.html. Leonard Cohen Official Website. web. July 2011
"Leonard Cohen". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen#Poetry_and_novels. Wikipedia. July 2011
"The 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame" http://www.leonardcohenhallsoffame.com/. The Leonard Cohen Hall of Fame. web. July 2011
Grant, Judith. "Leonard Cohen's Poems-Songs". Studies in Canadian Literature. 2.1 (1977). n. pag. Web. July 2011
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SUZANNE-lyrics-Leonard-Cohen/35368C7934C68C3748256AF0002649BC
Verdal, Suzanne. Personal Interview. "You probably think this song is about you" By Kate Saunders, BBC Radio 4 FM, June 1998.
"Leonard Cohen Bio". http://www.leonardcohen.com/bio.html. Leonard Cohen Official Website. web. July 2011
"Leonard Cohen". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen#Poetry_and_novels. Wikipedia. July 2011
How do his works aid in the study of Canadian Literature?
There are many reasons i believe Leonard Cohen would be an important artist to study. He not only made a huge impact on Canadian literature, which can obviously be seen through his countless awards, songs, poems and other works, but he is an artist who, almost 60 years later can evoke emotion in his writing to someone of my age and world appreciaiton. This to me is so impressive, and by him doing this, i believe he tested the boundaries of normalcy in literature, especially in the 60's. This is something that is often encouraged in a university setting, and especially in this class.
It also makes sense to study Cohen because of his breadth of talent. He wasnt just a poet, but a songwriter, performer, musician and novelist. Even his genres of music are widespread, from spoken word, to folk to rock. He is definetly someone who portrays that mosaic of Canadian identity we have discussed so much, being from a multi-background family, following both Judaism and Buddhism. But, he still identifies as a Canadian, which is something so powerful and i think really serves to encourage our pride in our country that someone who has many connections to sother places can still be so self-declaringly Canadian.
It also makes sense to study Cohen because of his breadth of talent. He wasnt just a poet, but a songwriter, performer, musician and novelist. Even his genres of music are widespread, from spoken word, to folk to rock. He is definetly someone who portrays that mosaic of Canadian identity we have discussed so much, being from a multi-background family, following both Judaism and Buddhism. But, he still identifies as a Canadian, which is something so powerful and i think really serves to encourage our pride in our country that someone who has many connections to sother places can still be so self-declaringly Canadian.
What do I think of Leonard Cohen, and specifically his works studied?
Before beginning my research into Leonard Cohen, i had some sort of idea that he was a well known artist, known hugely for his single "Hallelujah", which has been remade by some of my favourite artists and in some of my favourite TV shows/movies. First of all, I had no idea he was Canadian, and second of all, I had no idea that he had made such a huge impact on Canadian music to this day. To think that he has been writing and performing for over 55 years and still continues to do so to this day , is so impressive and i am amazed that he continues to find words and feelings that are so deep, meaningful and easy to connect with.
Although i have had a much different life than Cohen, in my background, bringing up, and era, he is still discussing things in his poetry and music that are important to me. Love, relationships, politics, sex, isolationism. This all applies to the young life I live today.
Now specifically in relation to the two specific works... At first i was unsure about both poems, as i didnt know the full meaning behind them. "Suzanne" is so personal that i think i would struggle to not like it, as it is something that obviously means so much to him as a poet. The other poem "You have the Lovers", is something entirely different, and different from most things ive ever read. I personally loved it, especially when i heard it being recited by Leonard Cohen himself. I could almost picture the characters in the poem, although the speaker was in fact the man in the account, at least thats how i took it, and there was so much deep, emotional love portrayed through the softness of the touch and sensuality of the characters.
Just studying this one author has dramatically increased my respect and interest in Canadian Literature as a whole.
Although i have had a much different life than Cohen, in my background, bringing up, and era, he is still discussing things in his poetry and music that are important to me. Love, relationships, politics, sex, isolationism. This all applies to the young life I live today.
Now specifically in relation to the two specific works... At first i was unsure about both poems, as i didnt know the full meaning behind them. "Suzanne" is so personal that i think i would struggle to not like it, as it is something that obviously means so much to him as a poet. The other poem "You have the Lovers", is something entirely different, and different from most things ive ever read. I personally loved it, especially when i heard it being recited by Leonard Cohen himself. I could almost picture the characters in the poem, although the speaker was in fact the man in the account, at least thats how i took it, and there was so much deep, emotional love portrayed through the softness of the touch and sensuality of the characters.
Just studying this one author has dramatically increased my respect and interest in Canadian Literature as a whole.
What is the meaning behind "You Have the Lovers"?
History of the poem
"You Have the Lovers" was written in 1961, at the very beginning of Leonard's career, and was published in his first collection of poems. It has been suspected that since the poem deals with such raw passion, that maybe he actually wrote it at around 17 or 18, when he wouldve had insatiable sexual needs, and no actual love.
What is going on?
The poem is written in a third person point of view, which I interpret to be Leonard talking to himself. It is almost like a daydream or flashback that has so much vivid memory but the speaker being disconnected from this experience. The couple in the poem are in such deep romance, and have so much passion between them, that we have to believe this is real. They have an ongoing romance, "Their lips are bruised with new and old bruises". One thing that we may find strange is how the poem goes from almost watching the couple, to being apart of the couple and their act, "You stand beside the bed.../you carefully peel away the sheets/ from the slow-moving bodies.../You climb into bed and recover the flesh./...you wonder how many multitudes are lying beside your body."
"You Have the Lovers" was written in 1961, at the very beginning of Leonard's career, and was published in his first collection of poems. It has been suspected that since the poem deals with such raw passion, that maybe he actually wrote it at around 17 or 18, when he wouldve had insatiable sexual needs, and no actual love.
What is going on?
The poem is written in a third person point of view, which I interpret to be Leonard talking to himself. It is almost like a daydream or flashback that has so much vivid memory but the speaker being disconnected from this experience. The couple in the poem are in such deep romance, and have so much passion between them, that we have to believe this is real. They have an ongoing romance, "Their lips are bruised with new and old bruises". One thing that we may find strange is how the poem goes from almost watching the couple, to being apart of the couple and their act, "You stand beside the bed.../you carefully peel away the sheets/ from the slow-moving bodies.../You climb into bed and recover the flesh./...you wonder how many multitudes are lying beside your body."
You Have the Lovers
You have the lovers,
they are nameless, their histories only for each other,
and you have the room, the bed, and the windows.
Pretend it is a ritual.
Unfurl the bed, bury the lovers, blacken the windows,
let them live in that house for a generation or two.
No one dares disturb them.
Visitors in the corridor tip-toe past the long closed door,
they listen for sounds, for a moan, for a song:
nothing is heard, not even breathing.
You know they are not dead,
you can feel the presence of their intense love.
Your children grow up, they leave you,
they have become soldiers and riders.
Your mate dies after a life of service.
Who knows you? Who remembers you?
But in your house a ritual is in progress:
It is not finished: it needs more people.
One day the door is opened to the lover's chamber.
The room has become a dense garden,
full of colours, smells, sounds you have never known.
The bed is smooth as a wafer of sunlight,
in the midst of the garden it stands alone.
In the bed the lovers, slowly and deliberately and silently,
perform the act of love.
Their eyes are closed,
as tightly as if heavy coins of flesh lay on them.
Their lips are bruised with new and old bruises.
Her hair and his beard are hopelessly tangled.
When he puts his mouth against her shoulder
she is uncertain whether her shoulder
has given or received the kiss.
All her flesh is like a mouth.
He carries his fingers along her waist
and feels his own waist caressed.
She holds him closer and his own arms tighten around her.
She kisses the hand besider her mouth.
It is his hand or her hand, it hardly matters,
there are so many more kisses.
You stand beside the bed, weeping with happiness,
you carefully peel away the sheets
from the slow-moving bodies.
Your eyes filled with tears, you barely make out the lovers,
As you undress you sing out, and your voice is magnificent
because now you believe it is the first human voice
heard in that room.
The garments you let fall grow into vines.
You climb into bed and recover the flesh.
You close your eyes and allow them to be sewn shut.
You create an embrace and fall into it.
There is only one moment of pain or doubt
as you wonder how many multitudes are lying beside your body,
but a mouth kisses and a hand soothes the moment away.
If you have time, this poem is much more touching and easy to understand when Cohen himself recites it. Take a listen.
they are nameless, their histories only for each other,
and you have the room, the bed, and the windows.
Pretend it is a ritual.
Unfurl the bed, bury the lovers, blacken the windows,
let them live in that house for a generation or two.
No one dares disturb them.
Visitors in the corridor tip-toe past the long closed door,
they listen for sounds, for a moan, for a song:
nothing is heard, not even breathing.
You know they are not dead,
you can feel the presence of their intense love.
Your children grow up, they leave you,
they have become soldiers and riders.
Your mate dies after a life of service.
Who knows you? Who remembers you?
But in your house a ritual is in progress:
It is not finished: it needs more people.
One day the door is opened to the lover's chamber.
The room has become a dense garden,
full of colours, smells, sounds you have never known.
The bed is smooth as a wafer of sunlight,
in the midst of the garden it stands alone.
In the bed the lovers, slowly and deliberately and silently,
perform the act of love.
Their eyes are closed,
as tightly as if heavy coins of flesh lay on them.
Their lips are bruised with new and old bruises.
Her hair and his beard are hopelessly tangled.
When he puts his mouth against her shoulder
she is uncertain whether her shoulder
has given or received the kiss.
All her flesh is like a mouth.
He carries his fingers along her waist
and feels his own waist caressed.
She holds him closer and his own arms tighten around her.
She kisses the hand besider her mouth.
It is his hand or her hand, it hardly matters,
there are so many more kisses.
You stand beside the bed, weeping with happiness,
you carefully peel away the sheets
from the slow-moving bodies.
Your eyes filled with tears, you barely make out the lovers,
As you undress you sing out, and your voice is magnificent
because now you believe it is the first human voice
heard in that room.
The garments you let fall grow into vines.
You climb into bed and recover the flesh.
You close your eyes and allow them to be sewn shut.
You create an embrace and fall into it.
There is only one moment of pain or doubt
as you wonder how many multitudes are lying beside your body,
but a mouth kisses and a hand soothes the moment away.
If you have time, this poem is much more touching and easy to understand when Cohen himself recites it. Take a listen.
What is the meaning behind Suzanne?
History of the Poem~ Who is Suzanne?
Originally written in 1966 in Cohen's first collection of poems. He originally wrote it about the relationship he had with his friend's, Québécois sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, wife, Suzanne Verdal. Although the poem makes us think that they had a physical relationship, she assures us in the following interview that he had wanted to make things physical but she had refused. http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/verdal.html.
He also states that the description of their physical love was merely in his mind, and it was what he had fantasized about, "for you've touched her perfect body/with your mind".
The poem was turned into a song for the first time by Judy Collins, which became a massive it. She had changed some parts of it, but he released his own version in 1967 on his debut album "Songs of Leonard Cohen".
Context/What does the poem mean?
So much of the poem has direct truth behind it. For example, in the first verse, "...takes you down/to her place near the river.../and she feeds you tea and oranges/that come all the way from China". According to both Suzanne and Leonard, he used to visit her cottage near the St. Lawrence river and they would have tea and mandarin oranges. Suzanne believes that they were incredibly in love, in an emotional sense only, and this was what inspired the song. In her interview with CBC, she talks about how she literally was always "...wearing rags and feathers/from Salvation Army counters".
How does the poem progress?
There are a few subtle differences in the chorus of each verse, first with "and you know that she can trust you", and then "and you think maybe you'll trust him" and finally, "and you know that you can trust her". It shows that the poem starts with one point of view, him believing that she can trust him and then shifting to the thoughts in her head, as she is contemplating whether to trust him. It then ends with the first point of view again, and this time he can trust her as well. It shows a very beautiful and natural progression a friendship or love would take.
What are the symbols in the poem/song?
river- St. Lawrence river as well as the river of life that connects them
lighthouse- a small chapel on the edge of the river where they sometimes went together
Originally written in 1966 in Cohen's first collection of poems. He originally wrote it about the relationship he had with his friend's, Québécois sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, wife, Suzanne Verdal. Although the poem makes us think that they had a physical relationship, she assures us in the following interview that he had wanted to make things physical but she had refused. http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/verdal.html.
He also states that the description of their physical love was merely in his mind, and it was what he had fantasized about, "for you've touched her perfect body/with your mind".
The poem was turned into a song for the first time by Judy Collins, which became a massive it. She had changed some parts of it, but he released his own version in 1967 on his debut album "Songs of Leonard Cohen".
Context/What does the poem mean?
So much of the poem has direct truth behind it. For example, in the first verse, "...takes you down/to her place near the river.../and she feeds you tea and oranges/that come all the way from China". According to both Suzanne and Leonard, he used to visit her cottage near the St. Lawrence river and they would have tea and mandarin oranges. Suzanne believes that they were incredibly in love, in an emotional sense only, and this was what inspired the song. In her interview with CBC, she talks about how she literally was always "...wearing rags and feathers/from Salvation Army counters".
How does the poem progress?
There are a few subtle differences in the chorus of each verse, first with "and you know that she can trust you", and then "and you think maybe you'll trust him" and finally, "and you know that you can trust her". It shows that the poem starts with one point of view, him believing that she can trust him and then shifting to the thoughts in her head, as she is contemplating whether to trust him. It then ends with the first point of view again, and this time he can trust her as well. It shows a very beautiful and natural progression a friendship or love would take.
What are the symbols in the poem/song?
river- St. Lawrence river as well as the river of life that connects them
lighthouse- a small chapel on the edge of the river where they sometimes went together
Suzanne
Suzanne takes you down
to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
you want to travel blind
And you know that she can trust you
For you've touched her perfect body
with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body
with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body
With her mind.
to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
you want to travel blind
And you know that she can trust you
For you've touched her perfect body
with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body
with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body
With her mind.
How has he been recognized?
Over the last five decades, Leonard Cohen has won countless awards, not only here in Canada but all over the world, especially in Israel and Europe. Some big ones include:
He was described as being among "the highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."
- 1968 Governor General's Award (English language poetry or drama) for Selected Poems 1956–1968
- 1991 Officer of the Order of Canada-
- 1991 Induction into the Juno/Canadian Music Hall of Fame
- 1993 Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
- 1994 Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year
- 1996 Ordained a Rinzai Buddhist monk
- 2003 Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada
- 2007 Grammy for Album of the Year
- 2008 Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2010 Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He was described as being among "the highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."
Who inspired him?
Over the years, Leonard Cohen had a number of literary influences, some of whom he had the chance and pleasure to work with.
-WilliamButler
-Irving Layton (studied with at Mcgill)
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-Walt Whitman
-Federico Garcia Lorca (Cohen named his daughter after him)
-Henry Miller
-William
-Irving Layton (studied with at Mcgill)
-Walt Whitman
-Federico Garcia Lorca (Cohen named his daughter after him)
-Henry Miller
What does he write about?
Themes and Examples:
Love:
- "Suzanne"
Sex:
- "Dont Go Home with Your Hard-On"
- "Chelsea Hotel #2"
Depression/Suicide: Cohen suffered with depression for many years (although lesser in recent years) and writes about depression and suicide, with frequent emphasis on personal stories (ie. one about someone who decides at the last moment not to kill themselves-could this have been him?)
- "Beautiful Losers"
- "Seems So Long Ago,Nancy
- "Dress Rehearsal Rag"
War: Often considered a Pacifist...Although he fought in the Yom Kippur War, when askedwhich side he supported in the Arab-Israeli conflict, Cohen responded, "I don't want to speak of wars or sides ... Personal process is one thing, it's blood, it's the identification one feels with their roots and their origins. The militarism I practice as a person and a writer is another thing.... I don't wish to speak about war."
- "Night Comes On"
Politics/Social Justice:
- "Democracy," he laments "the wars against disorder/ the sirens night and day/ the fires of the homeless/ the ashes of the gay."- he believed that the United States wasnt actually a democracy, because "the rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor/ And there's a mighty judgment coming" ("Tower of Song").
Music:
- "Hallelujah"
Religion: Cohen is Jewish, and he has drawn from Jewish religious and cultural imagry throughout his career.
- "Story of Isaac"
- "Who by Fire"- the words and melody of which echo the Unetaneh Tokef, an 11th-century liturgical poem recited on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
- "Hallelujah"- evokes the biblical King David composing a song that "pleased the Lord" and continues with references to Bathsheba and Samson- Broader Jewish themes sound throughout the album "Various Positions"
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Isolationism: while Cohen was in a buddhist monastery
Interpersonal Relationships
Love:
- "Suzanne"
Sex:
- "Dont Go Home with Your Hard-On"
- "Chelsea Hotel #2"
Depression/Suicide: Cohen suffered with depression for many years (although lesser in recent years) and writes about depression and suicide, with frequent emphasis on personal stories (ie. one about someone who decides at the last moment not to kill themselves-could this have been him?)
- "Beautiful Losers"
- "Seems So Long Ago,
- "Dress Rehearsal Rag"
War: Often considered a Pacifist...Although he fought in the Yom Kippur War, when askedwhich side he supported in the Arab-Israeli conflict, Cohen responded, "I don't want to speak of wars or sides ... Personal process is one thing, it's blood, it's the identification one feels with their roots and their origins. The militarism I practice as a person and a writer is another thing.... I don't wish to speak about war."
- "Night Comes On"
Politics/Social Justice:
- "Democracy," he laments "the wars against disorder/ the sirens night and day/ the fires of the homeless/ the ashes of the gay."- he believed that the United States wasnt actually a democracy, because "the rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor/ And there's a mighty judgment coming" ("Tower of Song").
Music:
- "Hallelujah"
Religion: Cohen is Jewish, and he has drawn from Jewish religious and cultural imagry throughout his career.
- "Story of Isaac"
- "Who by Fire"- the words and melody of which echo the Unetaneh Tokef, an 11th-century liturgical poem recited on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
- "Hallelujah"- evokes the biblical King David composing a song that "pleased the Lord" and continues with references to Bathsheba and Samson- Broader Jewish themes sound throughout the album "Various Positions"
Isolationism: while Cohen was in a buddhist monastery
Interpersonal Relationships
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
What has he written?
Novels:
- The Favourite Game (1963)-autobiographical fiction
- Beautiful Losers (1966)-suicide
Poetry/Prose
- Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956)- first book ever in Mcgill Poetry Series
- The Spice-Box of Earth (1961)- made him well known in Canadian poetry circles
- Flowers for Hitler (1964)
- Death of a Lady's Man (1978)
- Book of Mercy (1984)- influenced by the Bible, Torah, and Zen-Buddhist writings
Songs
- Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs (1993)
- Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)-first Studio album
- Hallelujah
-over 2000 renditions produced
-fastest selling digital single in European history
- The Favourite Game (1963)-autobiographical fiction
- Beautiful Losers (1966)-suicide
Poetry/Prose
- Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956)- first book ever in Mcgill Poetry Series
- The Spice-Box of Earth (1961)- made him well known in Canadian poetry circles
- Flowers for Hitler (1964)
- Death of a Lady's Man (1978)
- Book of Mercy (1984)- influenced by the Bible, Torah, and Zen-Buddhist writings
Songs
- Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs (1993)
- Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)-first Studio album
- Hallelujah
-over 2000 renditions produced
-fastest selling digital single in European history
Who is he?
Leonard Norman Cohen was born September 21st, 1934 in Montreal, Quebec. He was born into a middle-class, first generation Canadian, Jewish family (mother from Lithuania, father from Poland). Starting in 1951, his post-secondary education started, with an undergraduate degree from Mcgill University, followed by Mcgill Law, Columbia University and then an honorary degree from Dalhousie.
In 1961, just 5 years after his first published work, Cohen moved to Cuba, at the height of the US-Cuba Cold War tensions, where he was a great supporter of the well-known revolutionary, Che Guevara. He had a brief stint in the Israeli airforce and fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
During the 1970's, Cohen had a relationship with Suzanne Elrod, an L.A. artist, with whom he had two children (Adam in 1972, Lorca in 1974). He never married Suzanne, which he sums up to feelings of "cowardice and fear".
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In 1996, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and spent a brief time in a monastery, where he found ample opportunities to write. So in 2007, after another album was released, he began a 3 year tour and has another album coming out later on this year. That will put him at exactly 55 years so far in the business! And in those five and a half decades, Leonard Cohen has publish 2 novels, 12 Studio albums and 14 collections of songs and poems.
In 1961, just 5 years after his first published work, Cohen moved to Cuba, at the height of the US-Cuba Cold War tensions, where he was a great supporter of the well-known revolutionary, Che Guevara. He had a brief stint in the Israeli airforce and fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
During the 1970's, Cohen had a relationship with Suzanne Elrod, an L.A. artist, with whom he had two children (Adam in 1972, Lorca in 1974). He never married Suzanne, which he sums up to feelings of "cowardice and fear".
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