 The summer won't come 'till I go to bed The birds will return when the dog is dead... (from early version of "The Book of Longing") Reviews & Articles 35) The New York Times, September 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Leonard Cohen Moment by Janet Maslin Thank you to the friend who gave me Leonard Cohen’s “Book of Longing” as a birthday gift this summer. I didn’t even know of this book’s existence, which made reading it that much more of an unexpected pleasure. As the season ends, I make myself a promise: I will return to this brief, inspired, sustaining volume time and again. This was the summer to rediscover Mr. Cohen, even though, for many of us, he’s never gone away. A documentary film tribute, Lian Lunson’s “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,” presented him at his eloquent best and revealed the degree of devotion he has inspired in other performers. A soundtrack of the film reinforced that impression. And “Book of Longing,” his first collection of poetry in more than 20 years, attests to the staying power of his mordant wisdom. He turns 72 this month, and he is overdue for an acknowledgment of his lifelong achievements. Perhaps this is it. “Book of Longing” attests to their everlasting beauty. This book is a composite of lyrics, poems, prose passages and line drawings. Many of the illustrations are mocking images of the artist looking aged and glum. As such, they could not be farther removed from the sardonic, libidinous vitality of his writing, or from the spirituality that informed his work long before he chose to spend years in a California monastery. Watch Mr. Cohen in the documentary (due on DVD this fall) and see that his power to captivate remains wonderfully intact. “Book of Longing” has exceptional range. It is clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound. And it is as soulful a credo as he has ever put on paper, which is what will keep on drawing me back to it. Not to mention its priorities. In “Other Writers” he describes both a great haiku writer and a monk who is a great teacher. Then he writes about a sexual adventure of his own. “I’ve got to tell you, friends,” says this poem “I prefer my stuff to theirs.” Retrieved from www.nytimes.com / Contributed by Marie ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to Reviews & Articles. Welcome | Index | Works by Leonard Cohen | Reviews & Articles | Index of Titles / drawings, first lines & online poems | e-card | Credits & Thanks |
||
www.bookoflonging.com
is the result of a cooperative effort between A Thousand Kisses Deep, Speaking Cohen and The Leonard Cohen Files websites.
Webmasters: Jarkko Arjatsalo, Jurica Staresincic, Marie Mazur, and Tom Sakic
This site is based on material kindly provided by Mr. Leonard Cohen and his management.
If you have any questions or requests, please write to tomsakic@yahoo.com.
(c) Leonard Cohen, 2006