LC's grandparents

Lars · Post by **Lars** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:18 am

Greetings all.
I've been reading different biographies on Leonard Cohen lately, and it seems to me that the biographers differ on the point of Cohens grandparents. Some say his paternal grandparents came from Lithuania and his maternal from Poland, and some have it the other way around. Does anybody know what the right information is?
Lars.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:17 pm

The first is correct. What was the second? ("some have it the other way around")?

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:49 pm

Hi Tom ~

The "other way around" would mean that his maternal grandparents came from Lithuania and his paternal from Poland.

I'm glad to see this question asked by a newcomer, as I've felt that it should remain in the FAQs section. Heritage seems to have played a large part in Leonard's life, and I feel it should include his grandparents, as well as his parents.

~ Lizzy

jurica · Post by **jurica** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 5:16 pm

lizzytysh wrote:I'm glad to see this question asked by a newcomer, as I've felt that it should remain in the FAQs section. Heritage seems to have played a large part in Leonard's life, and I feel it should include his grandparents, as well as his parents.

he may be a newcomer, but hardly a typical uninformed fan. the guy read SEVERAL biographies. that's more than i did.

(for the newcomer guy: i am the guy who oposed this sort of questions in FAQ. if it was someone else, not lizzy i's accuse him/her of forging this question, since it was posted too soon after we discussed that. come to think about it - that guy i firmly declared a lier may just have been from Iraq

)

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 5:58 pm

Yes, you're right about that, Jurica ~ newcomer to Forum doesn't equate to newcomer to Cohen. I still really like the question. It would also serve the purpose of clarification on the apparently conflicting biographies [perhaps addressing that issue in the answer].

Lars · Post by **Lars** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:40 pm

Thanks for your replys. It seems that my question touched on an entirely different discussion as well...
Anyway, I hope that the original question has been cleared. Ira B. Nadel states in "VArious positions" that LC's paternal grandparents are from Lithuania and the maternal are from Poland. He writes quite a lot about this so it seems that he has done his research (and of course talkes to Cohen himself). Probably the biographers (Jim Devlin and at least one other whom I dont remember at the present time) who says that Cohens paternal grandparents are from Poland and the maternal from Lithuania are just quoting after the same mistaken source.
Once again: thank you all for replying.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:29 pm

Lars - this is a really good link. It gives some background to his family.

http://www.serve.com/cpage/LCohen/interview.html

Lars · Post by **Lars** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:20 pm

Thanks Paula.

margaret · Post by **margaret** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:59 pm

thanks Paula, I've not seen that article before. I met the writer Arthur K. in New York last June when I helped out on the Registration desk It got a bit hectic and I never got to say goodbye. If you're around here Arthur, I hope you're well, and maybe we'll see you at a future Event.

Margaret

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 12:14 am

The first question and its answers confirms absolutely, for me, the significance of including the issue of heritage in the FAQs. A number of relationships can be seen between all that Leonard has become and his origins.

A very interesting and unique interview. Thanks, Arthur....and Paula for putting the link here.

~ Lizzy

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:22 am

Does that link work?

margaret · Post by **margaret** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 12:59 pm

It worked again just now for me, Tom. Have another try.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:04 pm

It works, and I read it already before (it's Carter Page).
Sometimes when I open the link from forum it doesn't work, but I solve that like I did this: I press "refresh" button and I get the site normally

thanks for worrying