identitytheory.com - Book of Longing review

[tomsakic]

http://www.identitytheory.com/bookrate/#cohen

Book of Longing
by Leonard Cohen (Ecco Press, 231 pages)


In constructing a spiritual and literary lineage of this website, it would be impossible to leave out the name of Leonard Cohen, whose Zenned-out, soulful, compassion-and-sex-filled poetry and songs have been a source of inspiration for as long as I've harbored an interest in lyrical matters. Book of Longing, released this May, is a worthy (and long-awaited) follow up to Cohen's last two offerings of verse, Book of Mercy (1984) and Stranger Music (a 1993 anthology). After reading the first 40 pages of Book of Longing, I felt a renewed appreciation for Cohen's unique value to the literary world and regretted that it had been so many years since he had come out with a book. He's the kind of writer who infuses me with enthusiasm for writing and for publishing the writing of others, and in that respect it is difficult to say that Identity Theory would exist without him. Leonard's new collection chronicles, through poetry, line drawings and song lyrics (mainly from his 2001 album Ten New Songs), the Canadian icon's mindset while studying meditation at Mt. Baldy Zen Center in California with Kyozan Joshu Roshi. It also contains some older verse written in the Montreal of the 1970's, plus some writing from Mumbai and Los Angeles. The line drawings often are joined with jarring little haiku-ish inscriptions, like “I never found the girl / I never got rich / Follow me” and “my secret drug is death / I take it whenever I see you / and you don't see me,” which add a playful tone to the pages. In a recent article in New York Magazine, Cohen said the book “treats various forms of longing—religious, sexual, just expressions of loneliness...I hoped it would be entertaining. It’s a sweet little book.” Leonard also is the subject of a recently released concert film, I'm Your Man, which is next on my list of things to watch (despite its regrettable association with Mel Gibson).

-Matt Borondy

[lizzytysh]

I'm not familiar with the Identity Theory, but I like this writer's approach to Leonard's writings. I disagree that I'm Your Man's association with Mel Gibson is regrettable. I think Mel's recent words and actions are. Without Mel's association, the film might not have gotten made.

~ Lizzy