leonardcohenforum.com

Lizzy, the tension you are talking about, between the feeling that it is something very private, and the wish to share it with some kindred spirits, is very familiar. Perhaps that’s why I’m such a late comer to this forum, but now that I’ve joined I can feel some good vibrations.

Let me just correct a misunderstanding . I was not translating the songs into Japanese at the time, but rather into Hebrew. I was born in Jerusalem and spent most of my life there, but I went to study in Japan, and now I’m here once again with my family. My wife is a university professor, my daughter is a schoolgirl, and I’m still trying to figure out what I am.

D. B. Cohen
(No relation. Cohen is the most common Jewish name)

Hi D.B. ~

Yes

Let me just correct a misunderstanding . I was not translating the songs into Japanese at the time, but rather into Hebrew.

This is how rumours getting started... and maybe even errors in biographies . The words are/were all there... but the meaning somehow slipped between the cracks, and without the most relevant person 'present,' who would know ? These exchanges are just one exercise after another [well ~ one for you and one for me] in making the very point of this thread . Sometimes, the Fates just cooperate like that, don't they ?

Ah, yes... the "tension" ~ exactly the right word. I understand your reluctance to join the Forum, too... and I'm glad you've taken the plunge. I used to not understand how people would be interested in attending the Events ~ ha... now there's some history for ya. Solidly past tense.
Perhaps, you, your wife, and daughter will show up for one of those one day. It's easy to see that you'd have some very interesting conversations with Cohen folks. Jim Devlin attends, too.

Aha ~ Were it not for the B. in the middle, you'd have some questions to answer in another thread .

Yes. Some good vibrations here; and good vibrations with people in person from here, the Chatroom, and elsewhere in Leonard's world, too .


~ Lizzy

When I wrote about LC’s war experience in Israel above, I was not aware that the subject already came up in the forum last year. The thread is called “LC and the Yom Kippur war, 1973”, in the “Comments & Questions” sub-forum. Some of the information is overlapping, but some details appear either here or there exclusively.

Sincerely,
D. Cohen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGwpNXNvB6o

'Guess who's coming to dinner'

Not a remake of the Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn film. And if you've got Nadel's book you should recognise the portrait hanging on the wall.

Very nice. Charming instructors. But I believe the asparagus was a little over-cooked. The tops were wilted. And they hung over the plate. One of the guests was a little confused about the cheese. Must be the wine.

Three stars.

YdF

Ripening, or Affinage
Ripening is the stage during which microbes
and milk enzymes transform the salty, rubbery,
or crumbly curd into a delicious cheese.
The French term for ripening, affinage,
comes from the Latin finus, meaning
"end" or "ultimate point," and was used in
medieval alchemy to describe the refining
of impure materials. For at least 200 years
it has also meant bringing cheeses to the
point at which flavor and texture are at
their best. Cheeses have lives: they begin
young and bland, they mature into fullness of
character, and they eventually decay into
harshness and coarseness. The life of a moist
cheese like Camembert is meteoric, its prime
come and gone in weeks, while the majority
of cheeses peak at a few months, and a dry
Comte or Parmesan slowly improves
for a year or more.

-"On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of The Kitchen",
revised 2004, -Harold McGee

The US version of Ira Nadel's Various Positions: a Life of Leonard Cohen is coming in September 2007 with the brand new cover.



It's also the new US publisher, University of Texas Press. The previous US editions were from Pantheon, what means two things - the fact that new publisher is university press means much for the book, its subject and its author (now it's university edition in Jewish History, Life, and Culture Series!). On the other side, the fact that book needed to find university publisher instead of previous commercial one shows the lack of any interest for Cohen in the market.

"Known as the "Prince of Bummers," Leonard Cohen is a multi-talented poet, singer-songwriter, novelist, and Zen Buddhist whose career has spanned more than forty years and inspired countless other artists. In this critically acclaimed biography originally published in 1996 by Pantheon Books, Ira Nadel draws on extensive interviews with Cohen, as well as excerpts from his unpublished letters, journals, notebooks, songs, and other writings, to offer a full portrait of this enigmatic man and his artistic career. A new concluding chapter brings Cohen's story up-to-date, including the release of the albums Dear Heather, Ten New Songs, The Essential Leonard Cohen, and Blue Alert, as well as the publication of Book of Longing and the screening of the documentary film Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man."

The official site of the book (UoT Press website):
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/nadvap.html

"Known as the "Prince of Bummers," Leonard Cohen . . . A new concluding chapter brings Cohen's story up-to-date, including the release of the albums Dear Heather, Ten New Songs, The Essential Leonard Cohen, and Blue Alert, as well as the publication of Book of Longing and the screening of the documentary film Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man."

The insertion of a single word at the beginning of this paragraph would have brought the issue of Leonard's [alleged] reputation up to date, as well. I'm sorry that the new publishers weren't aware enough or couldn't be bothered. It would have been simple to have begun the first sentence with the word "Once... " and adding "to some" after "known" would have made it even more fair and at least accurate. Could the presumption be that this tag might be more appealing to college students?

I like the picture of Leonard; but for someone who's unaware of him, it skews the first impression of him, in regard to the man he has become and regarding the many who never shared this vision of him in the first place. I'm glad to see that he's part of the university curriculum, officially included in the Jewish History, Life, and Culture Series. I hope that by the time students new to him and taking the class at the University of Texas complete their course, this additional chapter will reveal that Leonard is and always has been, and has become 'known' for much more than one journalist's tag many years ago. I hope there are a selection of more recent and up-to-date photos included in it, as well. I know such a moniker makes 'good print' in the general media, but I'm surprized and disappointed that a university made such a 'sensationalistic' and distorting editorial decision.

I hope the implicit message isn't a connection between Leonard's being a Jew and, in that, having a 'Bummer' attitude. It's just very odd to see that verbiage included by publishers at a major university in a book intended for serious study of the topics delineated in the Series's title; and unnecessarily taints his introduction. Leonard represents much more in regard to his heritage than that and, even though that point will be made through the material itself, it's very odd to see it at all in this context. I'm also surprized to see him as part of the coursework of a Texas university. Would love to see him included in that of other major universities, on the east coast. Well, anywhere, really; but Texas was a particular surprise. It's interesting to me to note that Texas is Bush's home state, and that Bush was reportedly rejected from the University of Texas Law School [from a "Frontline" chronology ~ "Fall 1970
George W. applies to University of Texas Law School and is rejected."]; but that takes this a whole different direction. However, seeing this new edition for this particular use still makes me think of democracy coming to the U.S.A.


~ Lizzy

Lizzy, if I remember correctly, "the Prince of Bummers" line is from the original publication.
U of T Press publishing it does not mean it is on their course work lists for students, it just means they are publishing it.
The new cover is an improvement I think, makes him look serious.

In general, I always believe autobiographies are better than biographies. Always think it's a bit strange when someone thinks they know all about somebody else's life.

Okay, I hope you're remembering it correctly then, Madonna. Even so, as an added paragraph in its introduction, I'd have preferred they specifically contextualize it in the sense I'm referring to; or, better yet, I'd have preferred that they'd simply omitted the use of that phrase in a serious introduction that will remain in print. For one, major thing, it's not how Leonard is known.

Since Leonard tends to look serious in nearly every photo taken [the exceptions have been what are notable in that regard], seeing this one above that line introductory line, the new photo to me seemed to pander to that notion. I'll admit that I'm looking at it through biased eyes due to that line. I also may have misinterpreted the intent for this new edition; the "Jewish History, Life, and Culture Series" is what gave me the impression that this was earmarked for study or specific examination of some sort, though it may simply be the section in which it is found within a particular grouping of books.

Thanks for the encouraging clarifications, Madonna. They help... a little .


~ Lizzy

"Prince of Bummers" came from Leon Wieseltier's 1993 The New Yorker essay. That's LW from Love Itself dedication, Leonard's friend.

The original article is scanned here:
http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/lw1.htm

Okay, "Uncle." Thanks for posting that, Tom. I've had time to read the first page and scan the rest, and see that I erroneously aligned this moniker with whoever the reporter/journalist was who coined the phrase "Music to slit your wrists by... " Leon has appropriately contextualized his phrase to the high degree that warrants his being a writer for The New Yorker. Knowing that he's a friend of Leonard's helps, as well... however, ultimately, it's how he supported his position with regard to "Prince of Bummers" that's most convincing. I hope that in the new edition of the book, this use of phrase is footnoted. It would be ideal to have the whole article included, or at least major portions of it, if it's not already.

Thanks, again.


~ Lizzy

New Canadian edition has been translated in Croatian language.



I will add only that the book is equipped with footnotes (mostly updates to the original text) and afterword, but I can't judge the quality of the job as I did it (and also edited the Croatian manuscript). Also, the index is updated and corrected, plus complete full listing of all tribute albums, books, CDs and major web-sites.

Tom

Tom Sakic wrote:I did it (and also edited the Croatian manuscript).

Congratulations, that must feel good Tom.

The cover picture is strange though, like he is asleep or, even worse, lying in state.