Synopses & Reviews
At seventy-eight, decades after his contemporaries have either died or turned into nostalgia acts, Leonard Cohen is as popular as he’s ever been, with a chart-topping new album and songs like “Hallelujah” gracing blockbuster movie soundtracks. To understand the reasons behind Cohen’s unlikely career surge is to understand what makes him one of the more intriguing artists of our time, a powerful mixture of spirituality, desire, compassion, and humor. Granted access to Cohen’s private papers, Liel Leibovitz delivers a portrait that is as psychologically astute as it is philosophically attuned, a look not only at the inner man but also at the environments that shaped him, from the rock scene of New York in the 1960s to the remote Zen monastery where Cohen spent years later in life. Cohen, Leibovitz argues, succeeded by staying true to his singular prophetic vision, a vision millions around the world find profoundly true.
Review
"In , Liel Leibovitz neatly limns the spiritual quest that underpins most of Cohen's work, from Montreal to Tel Aviv and beyond. Less about Suzanne than 'Suzanne,' Leibovitz's book highlights the novelist behind the songwriter, the poet behind the novelist, and the would-be prophet looming over them all." Marc Dolan, author of Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll
Review
"This is a wise book, and it asks poignant and incisive questions... The time is right for an elegant examination of the man's work: his passions, his fears, his poetry, his anger, his loneliness, his redemption. The time is right for Leibovitz's ." Alan W. Petrucelli
Review
"Absolutely outstanding." Examiner
Synopsis
Brings to life a passionate poet-turned-musician and what compels him and his work.
Synopsis
Why is it that Leonard Cohen receives the sort of reverence we reserve for a precious few living artists? Why are his songs, three or four decades after their original release, suddenly gracing the charts, blockbuster movie sound tracks, and television singing competitions? And why is it that while most of his contemporaries are either long dead or engaged in uninspired nostalgia tours, Cohen is at the peak of his powers and popularity?
About the Author
Liel Leibovitz is a senior writer for Tablet magazine and teaches at New York University. He is the coauthor of Fortunate Sons, Lili Marlene, and The Chosen Peoples. He lives in New York City.