The Leonard Cohen Online Directory is a one-stop reference page providing the best Leonard Cohen resources from all over the internet. The Directory comprises a continuously updated collection of annotated links to specific items organized into meaningful categories. The Leonard Cohen Online Directory was originally posted Apr 26, 2015; I am now revising, updating, and republishing the Directory.
Index
- Leonard Cohen Timeline
- Discography, Lyrics, and Cover Art
- Covers of Leonard Cohen Songs
- Covers Of Songs Performed By Leonard Cohen
- Films & TV About Leonard Cohen Or Featuring His Work (Listing)
- Awards & Honors
- Leonard Cohen Reading List
- Chords To Leonard Cohen Songs
- Art By Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen Nicknames
- Biography
- Leonard Cohen’s Songwriting
- Leonard Cohen’s Poetry & Novels
- 2008-2013 Tours
- Old Ideas, Popular Problems, Live In London, Songs From The Road, & Can’t Forget Albums
- Leonard Cohen Songs In Movie & TV Soundtracks
- The Mount Baldy-Zen Monk Experience
- Leonard Cohen & Ramesh Balsekar – India
- Hydra & Marianne Ihlen
- Leonard Cohen’s Special Connections: Ireland
- Leonard Cohen & Joni Mitchell
- Leonard Cohen, Phil Spector, & Death Of A Ladies’ Man
- Leonard Cohen Collaboration With Sharon Robinson
- Leonard Cohen Collaboration With Philip Glass
- Judaic & Other Religious Influences On Leonard Cohen’s Work
- Leonard Cohen & The Yom Kippur War
- Leonard Cohen’s Symbolism
- Sui Generis & General Interviews
- General Critiques
- Essays On Specific Leonard Cohen Songs & Writings
- Articles On Literature, Films, & Art About Or Inspired By Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen’s Work As A Source Of Succor
- Special Collections
Online Audio and Video Recordings
- Videos: Live Musical Performances
- Videos Featuring Audio Recordings Of Live Musical Performances (usually with associated photos)
- Video & Audio Recordings: Live Poetry Readings
- Video & Audio Recordings: Other Leonard Cohen Performances
- Video or Audio Recordings of Interviews
- Other Videos: Biographical, Tributes, Film Clips, Animated…
- Video Collections
- Leonard Cohen’s Handwritten Notebooks & Drafts Used To Create Songs
- Humor – Best Humor About Leonard Cohen: Parodies, Spoofs, Jokes…
- From Other Perspectives
- Leonard Cohen’s Montreal
- Leonard Cohen’s Hydra
- Leonard Cohen’s Los Angeles & Mt Baldy Zen Center
Directory
In Memory Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen died Nov 7, 2016. The following links lead to articles and posts that are especially informative, gracious, interesting, or evocative.
Articles & Obituaries
- Leonard Cohen: Remembering the Life and Legacy of the Poet of Brokenness by Mikal Gilmore (Rolling Stone: 30 November 2016)
- Leonard Cohen: Legendary Montreal singer-songwriter, poet, novelist and artist, has died at age 82 by Ian McGillis (Montreal Gazette: November 11, 2016)
- For Leonard Cohen, the End Came With a Fall in the Night by Ben Sisarionov (New York Times: 16, 2016) Note: The title if this piece may be misleadingly oversimplistic. See A Medical Note On The Death Of Leonard Cohen below.
- A Medical Note On The Death Of Leonard Cohen by Allan Showalter (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com: Aug 16, 2017). Pertinent explanations of leukemia, coagulation defects, falls, and No Heroic Measures stipulations.
- An Appraisal: Leonard Cohen, Master of Meanings and Incantatory Verse by Jon Pareles (New York Times: Nov 11, 2016)
- Leonard Cohen buried quietly on Thursday in Montreal by Ellen BraitStaff and Allan Woods (Montreal Star: Nov. 11, 2016)
- Hear Leonard Cohen: A Final Interview With David Remnick (New Yorker)
Personal Reflections
- ‘Born to be his conduit’: Jennifer Warnes remembers her friend and collaborator Leonard Cohen by Randall Roberts (LA Times: Nov 14, 2016)
- Being Leonard Cohen’s Rabbi by Rabbi Mordecai Finley (Jewish Journal: Nov. 16, 2016)
- Rebecca de Mornay Remembers Ex-Fiancé Leonard Cohen: ‘There Was No One Like Him, and There Never Will Be’ by Alex Heigl (People: November 11, 2016)
- Leonard Cohen Smiles Down on Us From the ‘Tower of Song’ by David Weiss (Newsweek: Nov 11, 2016) Don Was talks about his friendship with Leonard Cohen, the making of Elvis’s Rolls Royce, and much more, including the relative effects of Buddhism and amphetamines on songwriting.
- What Leonard Cohen means to me: ‘He made me feel less heartbroken’ Paul Muldoon, Martha Wainwright, Ezra Furman (Guardian: Nov 13, 2016)
- Considering Leonard Cohen – Ravished By The Song: A Confession By David Peloquin (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- My Life with Leonard Cohen by Ruth Wisse (Mosaic: Nov. 30 2016)
- Leonard Cohen’s Temple of Song by Cantor Gideon Zelermyer (Globe and Mail Nov. 18, 2016) The Cantor of the Shaar Hashomayim congregation in Westmount, who collaborated with Leonard Cohen on two songs from You Want It Darker, talks about their relationship.
Lists & References
Leonard Cohen Timeline
- I Can’t Forget: Leonard Cohen Timeline (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Events of Leonard Cohen’s life & career on a timeline with audio & video recordings and links to more information
- Beautiful Loser Timeline by Michael Barclay (Exclaim.ca) Prose timeline of Leonard Cohen’s life written in a succinct, interesting, and extraordinarily readable fashion
Discography, Lyrics, and Cover Art
- Discography (LeonardCohenFiles)
- Song Index (LeonardCohenFiles) Songs listed alphabetically with links to albums & lyrics
- Concordance (WebHeights) A concordance to the poems, prose, and songs of Leonard Cohen
Covers Of Leonard Cohen Songs
- Covers Listed By Artist (LeonardCohenFiles)
- Covers Listed By Title (LeonardCohenFiles)
Covers Of Songs Performed By Leonard Cohen
- Covers By Leonard Cohen (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
Films & TV About Leonard Cohen or Featuring His Work (Listings)
- Leonard Cohen Filmography (LeonardCohenFiles)
Awards & Honors
- Prince Of Asturias Award Speech: Video, Transcript, Annotations (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Homenaje a Leonard Cohen – Fotos Premios Príncipe 2011 54 photos of Leonard Cohen at the events of the 2011 Prince Of Asturias Awards
Leonard Cohen’s Reading List
- The Original Leonard Cohen Reading List (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
Chords To Leonard Cohen Songs
- Leonard Cohen Chords (Maarten Massa)
Art By Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen Prints (Leonard Cohen Official Web Site)
- Leonard Cohen Limited Edition Artwork (Leonard Cohen Fine Art)
- Richard Goodall Gallery (Richard Goodall Gallery web site) Note: Follow link to gallery home page; then enter “Leonard Cohen” in seach box at top of page and click “Search”
Leonard Cohen Nicknames
- Leonard Cohen, AKA – The Nicknames (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) An annotated list of nicknames applied to Leonard by journalists, friends, family, lovers, fans, and even Mr Cohen himself that have been memorialized in print.
Articles & Essays
Biography
- Take This Longing From My Tongue by Sean Elder (Salon: June 15, 1999)
- Leonard Cohen: Portrait Of The Artist As An Older Man by Ben Kaplan (National Post: Jan 31, 2012) A collection of perspectives on Cohen.
- Leonard Cohen: Out Of The Monastery And Back On The Road by Simon Worrall (Independent: June 15, 2008) Engaging concise biographical sketch of Leonard Cohen + “My life with Leonard” By Sharon Robinson
Leonard Cohen’s Songwriting (Articles)
- The Must-Hear, Must-Read 1992 Leonard Cohen Interview With Paul Zollo The most insightful and enlightening exposition of Leonard’s songwriting tactics and principles available
- Hallelujah for Leonard Cohen by Jan Swafford (Slate: Feb 8, 2012) Focus on writing lyrics. Also compares quality of Cohen’s lyrics to Dylan’s.
- Leonard Cohen and the Art of the Love Song by Tom Hawking (Flavorwire: Sep 18, 2014)
- Why Leonard Cohen Promises “We’ll Give You Everything We Got” – Not “Everything We’ve Got” (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) The power of elegantly employed vernacular
Leonard Cohen’s Poetry & Novels (Articles)
- The Worlds Of Leonard Cohen: A Study Of His Poetry (PDF) by Roy Allan (Simon Fraser University Masters Dissertation: 1970) 134 page analysis of themes in Cohen’s poetry.
- Leonard Cohen’s Poems-Songs by Judith Skelton Grant (Studies in Canadian Literature/Études En Littérature Canadienne , Vol. 2.1 1977) An examination of several poems Cohen engineered into songs
- Celebrity and the Poetic Dialogue of Irving Layton and Leonard Cohen by Joel Deshaye (Studies in Canadian Literature: Volume 34, Number 2 – 2009) The impact of Irving Layton’s poems and reputation on the persona constructed by Leonard Cohen.
- Views of Leonard Cohen (Canadian Literature #34: Autumn 1967) Includes two classic essays on Cohen’s literary style and its impact: The Phenomenon of Leonard Cohen by Desmond Pacey: P 5-23 and Leonard Cohen: Black Romantic by Sandra Djwa: P 32-42. Note: Site is slow to load.
- The Past is Perfect”: Leonard Cohen’s Philosophy of Time by Natalia Vesselova (Doctoral thesis submitted to University of Ottawa) Extended essay on perception of time in Cohen’s poems and novels.
2008-2013 Tours
- On the Road, for Reasons Practical and Spiritual by Larry Rohter (NY Times: Feb 24, 2009) One of the few interviews during the early years of the 2008-2010 Tour. Focus is on reasons for the tour but also covers his experience with Zen Buddhism.
- Cohen Wore Earplugs To A Dylan Show? Full transcript of Brian Johnston’s June 4, 2008 backstage interview in Hamilton. Includes 5 minute video excerpt. Topics: fedoras, lawyers, Anjani, Dylan, antidepressants, drinking professionally, smoking heavily, the zen of cognac, & the difficulty of singing Suzanne.
- Bow Down Before The Sage From Mt Baldy by Gautam Malkani (Financial Times Jan 27, 2012 – registration required) Addresses the psychoeconomics that dominated the past few years of Leonard Cohen’s career; analytic, reality-focused (although the word “mystic” is fearlessly brandished), and inspirational.
Old Ideas, Popular Problems, Live In London, Songs From The Road, & Can’t Forget Albums
- Is Leonard Cohen’s New Album His Best Yet? by Liel Leibovitz (Tablet Magazine: Sept 19, 2014) Smart, insightful, & accessible essay on Popular Problems that uses Judaism as a prism for apprehending the methodology and significance of Cohen’s songwriting genius.
- Leonard Cohen’s Popular Problems is a portrait of the artist in his joyful late period by Bernard Zuel (The Age: Sept 12, 2014). One of the strongest of the reviews of Popular Problems.
Leonard Cohen Songs In Movie & TV Soundtracks
- The Best of Leonard Cohen in the Movies by Michael Glover Smith (whitecitycinema.com: Sept 22, 2014) Succinct, insightful summaries of the use of Leonard Cohen’s music in five films: McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Cold Water, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Life Itself, Letter in Motion
- 8 Excellent Cinematic Moments Set to Leonard Cohen Tunes by Monika Bartyzel (Film School Rejects: Sept 25, 2014) Scenes from Beware of a Holy Whore, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Pump Up The Volume, Natural Born Killers, Exotica, True Love and Chaos, Secretary, & Take This Waltz with commentary & videos.
- A Contemplation Of Leonard Cohen’s Music In Two Movies About Strip Clubs (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Not one but two movies about strippers, Atom Egoyan’s Exotica and Michael Radford’s Dancing at the Blue Iguana, feature music by Leonard Cohen.
The Mount Baldy-Zen Monk Experience
- Leonard Cohen: Several Lifetimes Already by Pico Iyer (Prospect, Oct 20, 1998)
- Sasaki’s Mt. Baldy by Ed ‘Edji’ Muzika (We Are Sentience) An excellent account of the practices & day-to-day life at Mt Baldy Zen Center during a time when Leonard Cohen was in residence.
Leonard Cohen & Ramesh Balsekar – India
- A Resonance between Two Models – Leonard Cohen & Ramesh Balsekar by Jane Adams. (JaneAdamsArt: Sept 28, 2014) An extraordinary conversation between Leonard Cohen & Ramesh Balseka covering spiritual, artistic, & family matters
Hydra & Marianne Ihlen
- Leonard Looks Back On The Past by Kari Hesthamar for Norwegian Radio: 2005 (LeonardCohenFiles). Interview with Cohen focuses on Hydra & his relationship with Marianne.
- Marianne And Leonard by Kari Hesthamar: 2005 (LeonardCohenFiles) Interview with Marianne Ihlen
- George Johnston & Leonard Cohen by Shane Maloney. (The Monthly: November 2005, No. 7) Cohen’s arrival on Hydra & his connection with novelist Johnston and his writer wife Charmian Clift.
- Leonard Cohen, George Johnston, Charmian Clift On Hydra by Harry Fatouros (Leonard Cohen On Hydra) A more extensive account of Leonard Cohen & the Johnstons, along with many photos
- Leonard Cohen – The Greece Years by Harry Fatouros. (Neoskosmos: Dec 3, 2013) Leonard Cohen’s life on Hydra
- Hydra Archives and Marianne Archives (Cohencentric) Posts dealing with Cohen’s life on Hydra & with Marianne. Many photos.
- Related Content (not articles)
- Leonard Cohen Talks About Marianne & Hydra (Video) Scenes of Hydra frame 2 brief clips from different interviews with Cohen focusing on meeting Marianne and living together on Hydra.
- Hear Leonard Cohen And Marianne Ihlen Talk About Their Life Together
- Australian Encounters: George Johnston and Leonard Cohen 1960 (Video) An informative and delightfully entertaining 3:30 video about Leonard Cohen, the Johnstons, & Marianne on Hydra.
Leonard Cohen’s Special Connections: Ireland
- Songs Of Longing by Joe Jackson (The Irish Times: Nov 3, 1995; accessed at LeonardCohenFiles) Cohen interview with emphasis on Irish influence on music
- 2014 Leonard Cohen Event in Dublin Booklet (LeonardCohenFiles: August 2014) “Welcome from Paula” (p4) summarizes the Cohen links to Ireland. Pages 6-9 include photos of and information about Cohen’s Irish shows.
- Hallelujah — hats off to the master as Cohen bows to his hero Yeats by Paddy Clancy and Ken Sweeney (Irish Independent: Feb 8, 2010) Account of Cohen’s references to Yeats at the 2010 Lissadell House shows.
- A Secular Saint by Brian Boyd (Irish Times, Jan 28, 2012) Wide-ranging interview with a section on Yeats, Cohen’s Irish nanny, and the Sligo & Royal Hospital Kilmainham shows.
Leonard Cohen & Joni Mitchell
- Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell: Just One Of Those Things (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) A thorough, illustrated account of the relationship between Leonard Cohen & Joni Mitchell
- The Resonance Of Joni Mitchell’s “Wizard of Is” With Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- “Winter Lady” By Joni Mitchell Meets “Winter Lady” By Leonard Cohen – The Video (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
Leonard Cohen, Phil Spector, & Death Of A Ladies’ Man
- Wall of Crazy by Liel Leibovitz (Tablet: December 11, 2012)
- True Love Leaves No Traces by Daniel Luis Martinez (Mas Context: Fall 2013)
- Death Of A Ladies’ Man by Leonard Cohen (The Second Spin: Dec 21, 2014) Podcast of discussion of album with focus on production issues and collaboration between Cohen and Phil Spector. Each song is individually discussed.
Leonard Cohen Collaboration With Sharon Robinson
- Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson: a special relationship by Philippe Sands (Financial Times: Aug 3, 2013 – free registration required) Best summary of this collaboration.
- My life with Leonard by Sharon Robinson (Independent: June 15, 2008 – scroll down to second article)
Leonard Cohen Collaboration With Philip Glass
- Philip Glass: Leonard Cohen and me by Philip Glass (The Independent: October 3, 2007) Glass describes his friendship with Leonard Cohen & the creation of his musical work based on Cohen’s Book of Longing.
- Leonard Cohen & Philip Glass – London: October 20, 2007 Leonard Cohen and Philip Glass in conversation with John L Walters prior to the UK premiere of ‘The Book of Longing’ at London’s Barbican Hall on October 20, 2007.
- Philip Glass on Working with Leonard Cohen (Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Glass: A Portrait of Philip)
Judaic & Other Religious Influences On Leonard Cohen’s Work
- Under The Spell Of Stranger Music – Leonard Cohen’s Lyrical Judaism by Paul Monk (The Australian Financial Review: June 8, 2001)
- New Jerusalem Glowing: Songs and Poems of Leonard Cohen in a Kabbalistic Key by Elliot Wolfson (Kabbalah: Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts Vol. 15, 2006) A must read for anyone interested in Leonard Cohen’s deep connection to Kabbalah.
- Without Music, Would We Even Be Jewish?’ by Norman Lebrecht (The Guardian: Feb 28, 2014)
- The Moral Strength Of Leonard Cohen by Norman Lebrecht (Standpoint: 9/2014)
- Leonard Cohen’s Use of the Bible by V. Nicolet-Anderson (Academia.edu) Scholarly paper on the use of biblical metaphor and allusions in Closing Time, Suzanne, Hallelujah, Amen and Come Healing.
- Leonard Cohen: Poet, Prophet, Eternal Optimist by Sharonne Cohen (MyJewishLearning) Examines Jewish influences on & manifestations in Cohen’s novels, poems, & songs.
- Leonard Cohen, Singer Of The Bible by Mary Anne O’Neil (Crosscurrents: March 2015) The significance of biblical allusions in Suzanne and Hallelujah
- Being Leonard Cohen’s Rabbi by Rabbi Mordecai Finley (Jewish Journal: November 16, 2016) A fascinating and thoughtful account of the connections and conversations between Leonard and the Rabbi of the LA synagogue where Leonard was a member. Also includes significant information about Anjani.
- Yahrzeit For A Life Of Poetic Jewishness by James A. Diamond (Jerusalem Post: Oct 25, 2017) A thoughtful, insightful, and touching examination of Leonard Cohen’s life and words in the context of his own interpretation of Judaism.
Leonard Cohen & The Yom Kippur War
- Remembering Leonard Cohen’s Yom Kippur War Tour of Duty by Liel Leibovitz (Tablet: September 29, 2017) A succinct summary
- When Leonard Cohen Met Ariel Sharon in the Sinai Desert by Shai Ben-Ari (National Library of Israel: Oct 4, 2018) A thorough account
Leonard Cohen’s Symbolism
- Leonard Cohen’s Language of Symbolism: The Book of Mercy, Various Positions, And The Unified Heart by David Peloquin (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com: June 3, 2015) An examination of the connection between the Unified Heart symbol and the Various Positions album
- Leonard Cohen Album Logos (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) A collection of posts dealing with the symbols used on Cohen’s albums
Sui Generis & General Interviews
- Who held a gun to Leonard Cohen’s head? by Tim de Lisle (The Guardian: September 17, 2004) 70 facts about Leonard Cohen on the occasion of his 70th birthday
- Ladies and Gents, Leonard Cohen by Jack Hafferkamp. (Rolling Stone: Feb. 4, 1971) One of best summaries of Leonard Cohen’s career through 1970. Engagingly, colorfully written.
- Conversations from a Room by Tom Chaffin (Canadian Forum: August/September 1983) An outstanding interview saturated with significant Cohen quotations on performing concerts, Montreal, poetry, politics, songwriting, and housecleaning.
- Leonard Lately – A Leonard Cohen Interview by Bill Conrad (No Depression: May 7, 2012) Report of a 1976 interview that includes Leonard Cohen giving Willie York LSD, quotations not found elsewhere, & two shows “at the cozy Exit-In, a club with less than 150 seats” not listed in any reference.
- St. Leonard’s Passion by Liel Leibovitz, (Tablet: Jan 31, 2012). Strong on Cohen’s early career, especially the 1970 Isle of Wight appearance.
- Interview / Leonard Cohen by Alan Twigg. Date: 1979, 1984, 1985 (ABC Bookworld) Wide-ranging interviews, especially strong on philosophy behind Cohen’s work
- Porridge? Lozenge? Syringe? by Adrian Deevoy, (Q Magazine, 1991) (LeonardCohenFiles) Another wide-ranging interview: refers to “I’m Your Fan” tribute album, his poetry & novels, & his musical evolution
- Leonard Cohen, Pain Free by Sheldon Teitelbaum (Los Angeles Times: April 5, 1992) An especially thoughtful interview and a discerning profile.
- Conversation Between Leonard Cohen And Arthur Kurzweil (LeonardCohenFiles) Interview focused on Cohen’s Judaic heritage
- The Counterfeiter Begs Forgiveness: Leonard Cohen and Leonard Cohen by Stephen Scobie (University of Western Ontario) Keynote address at 1993 Leonard Cohen Conference. Good critical review of Cohen’s career to that point.
- Suzanne Vega Interviews Leonard Cohen October 1992 (Suzanne Vega Site) The title notwithstanding, this is as much a case of Leonard Cohen interviewing Suzanne Vega. Regardless, the content is informative and fun.
- Leonard Cohen and the Bay of Pigs by Evan Fleischer. Somersault Magazine: December 13, 2012) Summary of Cohen’s trip to Cuba in 1961, mostly culled from biographies.
- Broken Offering by Tim Footman (Aeon: Nov 16, 2012) An insightful, enlightening, well written, must-read essay on Leonard Cohen and religion.
- A Session With Poet Cohen: (Page C-4 – first page & Page C-5 – second page) by Jon Whyte, et al. The Gateway, Dec 2, 1966 (University of Alberta Libraries) Topics: Life & Death, Religion & Ritual, Relationship Of Art To Reality, Significance Of Poetry, LSD …
- Leonard Cohen Interview – Kathleen Kendel: Pacifica Radio WBAI Radio, NYC, Dec 4, 1974. While the questions are basic and have been asked before, the responses are high quality. Well worth a listen.
- Cohen Down The Road by Karl Dallas, Melody Maker, May 22, 1976. (Reality Now!) Especially strong on songwriting & understanding Cohen’s songs
- Leonard Cohen’s Interview With Anjelica Huston. Interview: November 1995. Found. at Remembering Leonard Cohen by Anjelica Huston (Interview: Nov 11, 2016). Topics include Leonard’s stay at the Mt Baldy Zen Center, his feelings about those who cover his songs,dealing with passion, panic, depression, & growing old,cultural violence.The Future album,love, compassion
General Critiques
- The Essential Leonard Cohen by Pico Iyer (Sony Music: 2002)
- The Fiction Of Leonard Cohen by T.F. Rigelhof (Paragraph: Canadian Fiction Review (Volume 19, No. 4, Spring 1998), pp. 2-5 )
- The Unified Heart and The Blessing to End Disunity (PDF) by David Peloquin (LeonardCohenFiles) An analysis of spiritual themes in Leonard Cohen’s songs
Essays On Specific Leonard Cohen Songs & Writings
- How Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ Became Everybody’s ‘Hallelujah’ by Ashley Fetters (The Atlantic, December 4, 2012) Review of Alan Light’s The Holy or the Broken with analysis of the cultural impact of the song.
- And She Feeds You Constant Comment: Leonard Cohen Transforms Commonplace Drink Into Suzanne’s Sacramental “Tea And Oranges” by Allan Showalter (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com: originally posted April 30, 2013) An examination of Leonard Cohen’s transformation of everyday tea into something exotic in his classic, Suzanne, to garner insight into his songwriting methodology.
- Seems So Long Ago, Nancy by Tim Challies (Challes.com: March 24, 2005) The story of the real Nancy, who inspired the song, by her nephew.
- Lyric Of The Week: “Ballad Of The Absent Mare,” Leonard Cohen by Jim Beviglia (American Songwriter: 9/2/2014)
- A History of True Detective’s New Theme Song, ‘Nevermind’ by Lindsay Zoladz (Vulture: June 21, 2015) The song’s development from a poem in Book Of Longing to a track on Popular Problems, its fit with the True Detective series, & a nuanced analysis of Nevermind vis-a-vis Cohen’s oeuvre.
- Behind The Song: Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows” by Jim Beviglia (American Songwriter: June 22, 2020)
- Ain’t No Cure For Love: Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man 25 Years On by David Bennun (The Quietus: April 4, 2013)
- Few can do love and loss like the Old Testament – except Leonard Cohen by Howard Jacobson (The Independent: Dec 17, 2008) Essay on Hallelujah
- Fragmented Absurdity: An Analysis Of Leonard Cohen’s Jazz Police by Jason Murray (LeonardCohenFiles)
- Waiting For The Miracle by Michael Dube with Steven Dube (LeonardCohenFiles)
- The Bells Take This Longing: A Psychosemiotic Approach To Leonard Cohen by Duane Vorhees (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com: originally posted June 16, 2015) An examination of Cohen’s “Take This Longing” through the lens of a comparison to “The Bells,” Buffy Sainte-Marie’s version of the same poem-song.
- Classic Tracks: “First We Take Manhattan,” Jennifer Warnes by Blair Jackson (Mix: Feb 1, 2014) Detailed, sometime technical discussion with Roscoe Beck & Jennifer Warnes about making of Warnes’ Famous Blue Raincoat album of Leonard Cohen covers with focus on “First We Take Manhattan.”
- Look Who’s Back at 67: Gentle Leonard Cohen by Frank DiGiacomo (New York Observer: Oct 15, 2001) Focus on songs from the Ten New Songs Album
- In Praise of Leonard Cohen, Great Novelist by Jason Diamond (Flavorwire: Sept 23, 2013): A consideration of Cohen as novelist with a focus on Beautiful Losers.
- “Famous Blue Raincoat” by Lawrence J. Epstein (The Best American Poetry: May 24, 2012) Thesis: “It is Cohen’s life that is being described both as the narrator and the other man.”
- Leonard Cohen’s Heart With No Companion: A Manual For Living With Defeat by Emma Philbin Bowman (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com: originally posted Apr 14, 2012) The most perceptive and insightful essay I’ve found about this song.
- The Prayers of Leonard Cohen: If It Be Your Will by Doron B Cohen (LeonardCohenFiles) An analysis of If It Be Your Will with the singer-songwriter, Book of Mercy, and Jewish belief as primary sources.
- “It Doesn’t Matter Which You Heard”: the Curious Cultural Journey of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by Michael Barthel (ClapClap: April 2007)
- The flame burns on: Leonard Cohen has the last word in his posthumous book by Ian McGillis (Montreal Gazette: October 6, 2018) The most thorough of the reviews of The Flame I’ve found, by far, and one of the most perspicuous.
Articles On Literature, Films, & Art About Or Inspired By Leonard Cohen
- Nocturnal Admissions: Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man by D.K. Holm. (Fred: July 4, 2006) Review of the film, Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man
- Sept 18, 2012: “I’m Your Man” By Sylvie Simmons Becomes The Definitive Leonard Cohen Biography (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Searching the Soul of a Soulful Singer –by Janet Maslin (New York Times: Sept. 13, 2012) “Ms. Simmons’s “I’m Your Man” is the major, soul-searching biography that Leonard Cohen deserves.”
Ms. Simmons’s “I’m Your Man” is the major, soul-searching biography that Leonard Cohen deserves. - Review: Sylvie Simmons’ ‘I’m Your Man’ takes on Leonard Cohen by August Brown (LA Times: Sep. 10, 2012) “Sylvie Simmons’ “I’m Your Man” tries to synthesize all these stories into a new gold standard of Cohen bios.”
- I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons – Another Cohen bio? Hallelujah! by Marshall Duke (Paste Magazine: September 11, 2012) “Clearly, we have here more than a simple biography. Simmons’ carefully researched work feels definitive. It can be trusted. Even better, Simmons is a wonderful writer. She describes events with engaging clarity and a command of language that oftentimes enthralls.”
- A Celebration Of Leonard Cohen’s Significance: A Review Of A Broken Hallelujah By Liel Leibovitz (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Leonard Cohen Gives Good Interview – The Book: Review Of Leonard Cohen On Leonard Cohen + Q&A With Editor Jeff Burger (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows by Harvey Kubernik – A Delight For Cohen Fans (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Matters Of Vital Interest By Eric Lerner – The Leonard Cohen Tell All Koan (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
Leonard Cohen’s Work As A Source Of Succor
- Why I Love Leonard Cohen by Ahmed Rashid (New York Review of Books: Nov 15, 2012) Excerpt: “[Leonard Cohen:] A spiritual man for these unspiritual times, someone with whom you can shed the weight of reality, your fears and concerns”
- Roger Ebert: The Essential Man by Chris Jones. (Esquire: March 2010. Note: Pertinent section begins at 14th paragraph) Roger Ebert, who died in 2013 from thyroid cancer, found succor in Leonard Cohen’s music. “There was one song in particular he played over and over: “I’m Your Man,” by Leonard Cohen. That song saved his life.”
- Maziar Bahari On The Music Of Leonard Cohen: “Of such stuff is survival made” (Cohencentric / AllanShowalter.com) Bahari, reporting on the presidential election in Iran, was imprisoned in June 2009 for being “an agent of foreign intelligence organizations.” Tortured & threatened with death, he credits his psychological survival to being able to using Cohen’s songs to create a “parallel universe” in which he could reside apart from his physical surroundings.
Special Collections Of Leonard Cohen Articles
Collections of articles about Leonard Cohen at a specific journal, newspaper, blog, etc.
- New York Times Topics: Leonard Cohen
- Tablet – Liel Leibovitz
- New Yorker
- The Guardian
- Uncut
- Rolling Stone
- The Star – Toronto
- NME
- El Pais
- BBC
Alternative Methodology: Search Google for
“Leonard Cohen” site:name of site
e..g., “Leonard Cohen” site:nytimes.com
Online Audio and Video Recordings
Videos: Live Musical Performances
- Best Of 2012 Leonard Cohen Tour Video Setlist (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Best video of each song performed during the 2012 Leonard Cohen Tour
- Best Of 2013 Leonard Cohen Tour Video Setlist (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Best video of each song performed during the 2013 Leonard Cohen Tour
- Complete Leonard Cohen 1988 Austin City Limits Show Cohen’s 1st major performance on American television is strong musically and a treat to watch
- Leonard Cohen: Live At The Isle of Wight 1970 The complete iconic performance (Suzanne & One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong in video; remaining songs in audio only)
- Leonard Cohen: Lover Lover Lover – 1976 (Le Grand Echiquier on French TV) High quality video
- Leonard Cohen: Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye 1976 (Swiss TV) High quality video
- Leonard Cohen’s Intimate Performance Of Suzanne – Bercy, Paris 2013 A perfect match of song and video technique
- Leonard Cohen: The Guests – 1979 (French TV: Oct 1979 posted by a1000kissesdeep) Singing is live, but it seems that the music comes from the instrumental track of the album
- The Marianne Variations (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Discussions of 5 versions of Leonard Cohen’s “So Long, Marianne” that vary from the original along with a video example of each
- Leonard Cohen: Dance Me To The End Of Love – Colmar 2009 Pro-Shot Video Of Exquisite Performance
- Leonard Cohen – Memories, Heart With No Companion, Story Of Isaac (Kalvøya, Norway, 1985) Outstanding color and clarity, solid performances, with Anjani on the keyboards and vocals. Moving, exhilarating, and fun to watch.
- Leonard Cohen: Dance Me To The End Of Love (partial) 1985 Elixir Festival in Guéhenno
- Leonard Cohen: Passing Through (partial) 1985 Elixir Festival in Guéhenno
- Leonard Cohen: Coming Back To You (May 1985) (Australian TV posted by a1000kissesdeep)
- Leonard Cohen: There Is A War – Boston 1993 (messalina79) Sound is excellent; visual elements are imperfect but watchable
- Complete 1988 Leonard Cohen San Sebastián Concert TV Broadcast Only
- Leonard Cohen: Un Canadien Errant (Harry Rasky’s “The Song of Leonard Cohen:” 1980 posted by a1000kissesdeep)
- Leonard Cohen – Take This Waltz (1986) (a1000kissesdeep) Promotional video clip for tribute LP “Poets In New York”
- Leonard Cohen – The Partisan Live On French TV, Paris 1970
- Leonard Cohen: Partisan, Lady Midnight, Tonight Will Be Fine (all partial) Olympia, Paris: May 12, 1970. Mostly historical interest. Note: Images are reversed
- Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat German TV 1979
- Leonard Cohen & Anjani Thomas – Never Got To Love You & Whither Thou Goest Joe’s Pub NYC: April 24, 2007
- Leonard Cohen – The Stranger Song Cohen’s first appearance on BBC-TV: Jan 27, 1968
- Leonard Cohen Mike Walsh Show 1985. Performance of Dance Me to the End of Love + Interview
- Leonard Cohen Nov 10, 1979 ZDF-TV Rock-Pop Special. Must-see video comprising excellent performances by Leonard Cohen of eight of his important songs, some rarely heard – if heard at all – in recent years, all professionally captured on film.
Videos Featuring Audio Recordings (+ Associated Photos) Of Live Musical Performances
- Leonard Cohen’s Elegy For Janis Joplin – Chelsea Hotel #1
- Leonard Cohen – Do I Have To Dance All Night (1976 version – with Laura Branigan)
- 1980 Leonard Cohen Tel-Aviv Concert The latter of two concerts that took place November 24, 1980 that was broadcast live on Israeli Army Radio.
- Complete December 9, 1979 Leonard Cohen Manchester Concert
- Leonard Cohen – To Love Somebody (1980) (messalina79) Leonard Cohen covers the Bee Gees hit in Eppelheim
- Leonard Cohen’s 1980 “Do I Have To Dance All Night” (Amsterdam Concert)
- Leonard Cohen’s Only Performance Of “Beloved Comrade” 1974
- “A Thousand Kisses Deep” By Leonard Cohen – A Composite Presentation
- Leonard Cohen with Jennifer Warnes – Silent Night
- Leonard Cohen – One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong 1974
- Leonard Cohen – Bird On A Wire At Aix-en-Provence 1970
- From Way Down Deep By Jennifer Warnes To A Thousand Kisses Deep By Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen: A Singer Must Die + Interview 1976. (Jay Tuck)
- Leonard Cohen Live (Unofficial Soundboard Recording) At Reykjavik 1988. Outstanding recording of a great performance: Reykjavik June 24, 1988
Video & Audio Recordings: Live Poetry Readings
- Leonard Cohen’s Feb 14, 1966 Reading – 92nd St Y (NYC) (Video) Poems, excerpts from Beautiful Losers & performance of Stranger Song. Pico Iyer’s take on this event at Pico Iyer on Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen’s First Recorded Live Performance: The Gift – April 8, 1958 Live audio recording with photos
- Leonard Cohen Recites “Listen To The Hummingbird” Audio with photos
- Prayer For The Messiah by Leonard Cohen Video excerpt from Ladies And Gentlemen…Mr Leonard
- Leonard Cohen Recites God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot Live audio recording with photos
- Leonard Cohen On Sighting The Perfect Ass & Other Poems Live audio recording with photos
- The Poetry of Leonard Cohen Illustrated by Two Short Films Live audio recording with illustrative visuals
- Leonard Cohen Recites Yeats Poem Live video. Lissadell House-Sligo: July 31, 2010
- Leonard Cohen Recites For Wilf and His House Audio – From Six Montreal Poets, 1957, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- Leonard Cohen Recites “In Flanders Fields” By John McCrae Live video
- A Kite Is A Victim (first & last verses) by Leonard Cohen Audio only
- Marita; This Is My Voice; The Only Poem by Leonard Cohen Audio only
- Roshi At 89 by Leonard Cohen Video
- The Hypnotist by Leonard Cohen Audio
- Puppets by Leonard Cohen Audio
- Days Of Kindness by Leonard Cohen Audio
- Leonard Cohen Recites Al Purdy’s Necropsy of Love Audio
- Animated Video: Leonard Cohen Reads “Two Went to Sleep” & Talks About Origins Of “Sisters of Mercy” Audio with animation
- Interview with Stina Dabrowski: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 (Video – Paris 2001) Pristine video of outstanding, far-ranging interview. Includes recitations of “The Correct Attitude” and “Sorrows of the Elderly” and “Because Of.”
- Poems Recited By Leonard Cohen An annotated list of links to online recordings (including both videos and audio-only recordings) of Leonard Cohen reciting a number of his own poems as well as a few works by others
Video & Audio Recordings: Other Leonard Cohen Performances
- The Comedic Stylings Of Leonard Cohen (Video by Allan Showalter) Most of this video comprises remarks Cohen makes during concerts presented here without the annoying interruptions of those songs he insists on performing between comic turns
- How To Speak Poetry by Leonard Cohen (Audio) Leonard Cohen’s advice for reading and writing poetry
- A Thousand Kisses Deep By Leonard Cohen – A Composite Presentation (Live audio recording with photos)
- Leonard Cohen Recites Since You Asked By Judy Collins Audio recording from the Judy Collins tribute album Born To The Breed with photos
- Leonard Cohen & Was (Not Was) – Elvis’s Rolls Royce Sudio recording from 1990 Was (Not Was) album, Are You Okay? with graphics
- Leonard Cohen – Sound Of Silence Audio recording from Tribute to Paul Simon: Take Me to the Mardi Gras album with graphics
- Leonard Cohen’s Spoken Word Performance Of Democracy Video from United States of Poetry (1995), episode The American Dream
- I Am A Hotel (1983) Leonard Cohen wrote the music and helped write the script for this 24 minute video which won the Golden Rose at the Montreux festival. Songs: Memories, The Guests, Memories, The Gypsy’s Wife, Chelsea Hotel # 2, Suzanne.
- The Captain Recitation by Leonard Cohen, Philadelphia 1985 Audio
Video & Audio Recordings of Interviews
- CBC Archives – Leonard Cohen (CBC) Mix of Video and Audio-only recordings
- Q with Jian Ghomeshi: Leonard Cohen (Video – CBC: March 2009) Excellent interview
- Interview with Stina Dabrowski: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 (Video – Paris 2001) Pristine video of outstanding, far-ranging interview. Includes recitations of “The Correct Attitude” and “Sorrows of the Elderly” and “Because Of.”
- Interview with Stina Dabrowski (Video – Mount Baldy Zen Center 1997) High quality recording of another outstanding, must-see Dabrowski-Cohen interview
- Cohen Wore Earplugs To A Dylan Show? Brian Johnston’s June 4, 2008 backstage interview in Hamilton. Full transcript at Maclean’s site. Leonard Cohen Live On Fedoras, Lawyers, Anjani, Dylan, Antidepressants, Drinking Professionally, Smoking Heavily, The Zen of Cognac, and The Difficulty of Singing Suzanne
- Michael Chaves On Making You Want it Darker With Leonard Cohen Los Angeles-based musician, engineer, and producer Michael Chaves discusses each of the songs he mixed and/or played on Leonard Cohen’s You Want it Darker album. Insightful, informative, and entertaining.
- Leonard Cohen Q&A At 2014 London Popular Problems Preview
- Leonard Cohen’s 1988 Oslo Interviews & Performances *Norwegian TV May, 1988 Video. Topics: Cohen’s ties to Montreal, Israeli-Palestinian politics, Cohen’s self-view as songwriter Vs poet, & his plans to install new parking meters after taking Manhattan & Berlin.
- Leonard Cohen 1993 Interview: The Fanning Sessions RTE. Audio. Topics: Merits of American music and hamburgers, hard work as the rate-limiting step in songwriting, the difficulties & rewards of marriage, & Cohen’s changing feelings toward his children.
- 2007 Leonard Cohen Norwegian Talk Show Interview Video: March 30, 2007 of “Først & sist” (“First & last”). Personal changes, life as zen monk, the pilfering of his money, his relationship with Anjani, & Al Gore
- Leonard Cohen Interview Later With Jools Holland (BBC: May 14, 1993. Video) Topics: Country music as first influence, poetry as way to win women’s hearts, his chop, his London landlady, Los Angeles, & catastrophe
- April 1972 Israel Interview: Part 1 & Part 2. Audio. Covers his student days, Montreal, Greece, poetry and touring
- Interview With Barbara Gowdy Video: November 19, 1992) Clip of Leonard Cohen on the songwriter submitting to the anvil of rhythm and rhyme
- Leonard Cohen – Backstage Interview Glasgow: 1976. Audio in video format.
- Leonard Cohen On His Poems, Zen, Hallelujah, His 6 Good Songs, Money, America, And The Squirrel Video. 2006 Norwegian TV interview held in Cohen’s Montreal home
- Leonard Cohen über seine Zeit als Zen-Mönch Leonard’s considerations on some of the core issues of his creative, spiritual, and personal life. Be aware that (1) the visual quality is substandard (2) the audio level is low, and (3) the level of entertainment doesn’t reach the “Leonard Cohen Gives Good Interview” level I have so often promoted. The key word in the title, in fact, is “agonizing.” There are few jokes, no seduction of the interviewer, none of the fun stuff. But, if you want to know what Leonard Cohen was thinking about the most basic issues, this video is for you.
- Leonard Cohen Tells Sexologist About Seduction, Men As Cocker Spaniels, and More Video: 1988. Leonard Cohen tells sexologist about his dog, his mother, his impermanence, seduction, men as cocker spaniels, and rules between men & women
- November 9, 1988 CBC Backstage Interview by Ralph Benmergui Massey Hall, Toronto. Video, Leonard Cohen On Bunk Beds, Country Music, Song Writing, Terrorism, Religion, and – Yes – Sex
- Leonard Cohen: Zen And The Art Of Songwriting NPR Fresh Air with Terry Gross: May 22, 2006. Audio. Leonard reading his poems, explaining Boogie Street, describing life at Mt Baldy Zen Center, distinguishing between poems that “lie gracefully on the page” & poems meant to be sung
- Leonard Cohen’s Voice Of Experience NPR: April 09, 1988. Audio. Focus on Cohen’s I’m Your Man album
- The ‘Serious’ Sounds Of Leonard Cohen NPR Fresh Air with Terry Gross: April 29, 1986. Audio. Cohen’s dual careers as a poet and a singer-songwriter
- Songwriter Leonard Cohen Discusses Fame, Poetry and Getting Older PBS Newshour with Jeffrey Brown: June 28, 200. Audio & Transcript. Cohen recites “Thousands” & “Mission,” differentiates between songs & poems, talks about getting older
- Leonard Cohen The Incorrigible Poet, Part 1 & Part 2 by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor. French TV: 1988. Video. Topics include Dominique Issermann, Israel, Terrorism, Monastery Life, Writing Songs & Poems, Edith Piaf & Jennifer Warnes
- Leonard Cohen BBC Interview With John Archer BBC: 1988. Video. Topics include romance, Janis Joplin, poetry, Lorca, suicide, music, & Sergio Leone. Commentary (including error in video) here
- Leonard Cohen Talks About Marianne & Hydra Video. Scenes of Hydra frame 2 brief clips from interviews with Cohen focusing on meeting Marianne & living together on Hydra.
- Leonard Cohen Interview With André De Bruyn Brussels: 1976. Audio. Topics include Politics, Revolution, Freedom, Nazis, Jung, ..
- Various Positions – Leonard Cohen in his own words: CBC: Jan 2013. Audio. Two-part documentary composed of Cohen’s CBC appearances – singing, interviews, poetry.
- Leonard Cohen Interview – RTE 8 April 1985 Audio. Topics include Cohen’s family, his early love of country music, and his transformation from poet to singer-songwriter.
- Leonard Cohen Interview – Finland 1993 Video. Topics: Cohen’s perfectionist style of songwriting, his lack of commercial success, the deterioration of the social structure following the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and the fragmentation of Los Angeles.
- Portrait of Leonard Cohen – LA 1992 Ina.fr: 1992. Video. Commentary in French. Cohen’s responses in English. Clips of Cohen in his car, his music studio, etc. Focus is on his just completed The Future album.
- Cohen On Cohen with Serge Simonart. Bruges: 1992. Video. A thoughtful, intriguing, and inexplicably obscure interview: Leonard Cohen on his atrocious voice, Dylan, Lead Belly, Ice-T, songwriting, love & where’s the beef
- Interview with Laurie Brown CBC: December 3, 1993. Video. Topics: poetry, writing and singing songs, dealing with the absurdity and pain of life, sex & religion as healing activities, significance & solitude in the cosmos, and his discovery of a vintage of wine that produced a “special resonance” in his musical performance.
- Leonard Cohen, Press Conference, Reykjavik, 1988 Audio. Topics: political cycles reflected in popular music, pacifism as a luxury of wealth and power, Jennifer Warnes, separation as loneliness, songwriting technique, boredom, radio and reading preferences…
- 1994 BBC Radio 1 Interview With Leonard Cohen Audio. Topics: songwriting with comments from Jennifer Warnes and Suzanne Vega, stories behind some of his most famous songs (e.g., Suzanne) and about Phil Spector.
- 1992 French TV Interview: Leonard Cohen On Autos, America, & Apocalyptic Dance Video. 17 minute pastiche with segments of an interview (in English with French subtitles), musical performances, childhood home movies, fragments from documentary films, and more. Full description at link.
- Leonard Cohen interviewed by Hans Pfitzinger Paris: 1988. Audio. Topics: HIV, relationships, songwriting.
- If It Be Your Will; A Man Built of Moments and Melody by Kari Hesthamar. 2005. Audio. Topics: Marianne, Hydra, His Career, & Love. Includes a recitation of “Days of Kindness” and a rendition of “If It Be Your Will.”
- Leonard Cohen Interview With Matt Zimbel BBC/ABC/CBC: 1988. Video. I’m Your Man, songwriting, European popularity, Jennifer Warnes & more
- “The operation is like ragpicking” Leonard Cohen’s Agonizing Examination Of His Work, His Life, His Time As A Monk Leonard’s considerations on some of the core issues of his creative, spiritual, and personal life.
Other Videos: Biographical, Tributes, Film Clips, Animated…
- Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen (National Film Board of Canada 1965) A collection of Cohen poetry readings, talks, & interviews (some very funny). Made before his first album.
- Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man on Amazon Prime..(Lian Lunson – 2006) Performances by and interviews with musicians influenced by Cohen (including Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Rufus Wainwright, Beth Orton, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and many more) as well as Cohen himself.
- Songs From The Life Of Leonard Cohen (BBC 1988) Documentary: 15 songs from the 1988 Tour plus interviews and footage of Cohen’s childhood and early career.
- Growing Up Leonard Cohen (Cohencentric video) Photos and video clips pertinent to Leonard Cohen’s childhood and adolescence in Montreal.
- Portrait Intime (aka Leonard Cohen on Mt Baldy) by Armelle Brusq Documentary shot in Spring 1996 about Leonard Cohen’s experience at the Mt Baldy Zen Center
- Leonard Cohen Lonesome Heroes (11 videos) A documentary that focuses on Cohen’s musical and literary influences. Draws heavily from other films and videos.
- Leonard: Adrienne Clarkson’s 1989 Leonard Cohen Documentary. Excellent documentary with clips from earlier videos interspersed with then current scenes.
- Philip Glass on Working with Leonard Cohen (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Glass talks about working with Cohen on the Book of Longing production.
- Leonard Cohen & Philip Glass – London: October 20, 2007 Cohen & Glass answer questions prior to the UK premiere of The Book of Longing. Also includes a recitation of A Thousand Kisses Deep, Cohen’s report of his first interview with Roshi, & his announcement he would be going on tour in 2008.
- Leonard Cohen Turns 80 (CBC: The National) A delightful collection of clips from Leonard Cohen performances & interviews 1966-2012.
Video Collections
- Leonard Cohen Specialty Videos Index Page (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) 50+ videos listed individually in categories: Performance-based, Birthday Celebrations, Tour Commemorations, Working for Your Smile, etc
- Leonard Cohen Official Site: Videos 25 official Leonard Cohen videos
- Video Clips of Leonard Cohen ( Current Cohen/Hermitage Prisoner) Leonard Cohen video clips, I Am a Hotel, TV ads, soundcheck videos
- TV Ads of Leonard Cohen ( Current Cohen/Hermitage Prisoner) 60+ TV ads that employ Leonard Cohen’s music or Leonard Cohen himself
Images
Special Shots
- David Boswell 1979 Photo Shoot 9 classic photos taken during Alan Twigg’s 1979 interview with Cohen in Vancouver
- Compagnons De Route – Portfolio Cohen par Issermann (PDF download from Maarten Massa) 2009 Les Inrockuptibles article featuring outstanding photos of Leonard Cohen by Dominique Issermann
- 1967 Mariposa Folk Festival (York University Libraries) Photos of Leonard Cohen & Buffy Sainte-Marie performing. Photo of Joni Mitchell at the 1967 Festival can be viewed at Joni Mitchell & David Rea.
- Life Magazine Photos Of Hydra by James Burke – 1960 (Getty Images) A multitude of photos, many of which include Leonard Cohen as well as Marianne, Axel Jensen, Charmian Clift, George Johnston, & other notables.
- Homenaje a Leonard Cohen – Fotos Premios Príncipe 2011 54 photos of Leonard Cohen at the 2011 Prince Of Asturias Awards
Photo Collections
- Wikipedia Commons: Many large, high quality photos of Leonard Cohen, all of which are available for use without charge under Creative Commons License
- Leonard Cohen Facebook Timeline Photos A constantly growing grab bag with studio photos by professionals, concerts shots, illustrations … well worth exploring.
- A Leonard Cohen Minute: Many photos of Leonard Cohen and his associates as well as videos, quotations, and information.
Treats
Leonard Cohen’s Handwritten Notebooks & Drafts Used To Create Songs
- “Suzanne” Notes – 2 Pages (LeonardCohenFiles)
- “Joan Of Arc” Notes – 3 Pages (LeonardCohenFiles)
- “The Old Revolution” Notes – 1 Page (LeonardCohenFiles)
- “The Stranger Song” Notes – Page 1 of 5 (LeonardCohenFiles)
- “Hallelujah” Notes – 1 Page (LeonardCohenFiles)
- “Closing Time” — In-depth Study – Page 1 of 10 (WebHeights)
Humor – Best Humor About Leonard Cohen: Parodies, Spoofs, Jokes…
- Cohenphilic Personality Syndrome by DrHGuy (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Diagnostic criteria for syndrome of pervasive, intense admiration of Leonard Cohen
- You May Be A Leonard Cohen Fan If … by DrHGuy (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Signs and symptoms of devout Leonard Cohen fans
- Leonard Cohen’s Day Job Video of parody song by Austin Lounge Lizards. Lyrics and other information
- The Ballad Of Len – A Musical Tribute To Leonard Cohen performed by Sylvie Simmons (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Fifty Shades Of Leonard Cohen Video by DrHGuy (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Leonard Cohen: The Ladies’ Man Leaves His Hat On by DrHGuy (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Leonard Cohen’s Seven Immutable Laws Of Business by Ken Krimstein (McSweeney’s Internet Tendency)
- PowerPoint Version Of Leonard Cohen’s First We Take Manhattan (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
From Other Perspectives
- Leonard Cohen Scrapbook (Jem Treadwell) Clippings from the UK music press collected years ago—mostly during the seventies.
Leonard Cohen’s Montreal
- Leonard Cohen’s Montreal: refuge and escape by Robert Everett-Green (The Globe and Mail: Oct. 14, 2016) A comprehensive view of the Cohen-Montreal connection with maps
- Exploring the Montreal That Leonard Cohen Loved by Rose Maura Lorre (New York Times: Feb. 10, 2017). An excellent, anecdote-filled article.
- Leonard Cohen’s Montreal by Jonathan Montpetit (CBC News: Nov 11, 2016)L
- First We Take the Main: A tour of Leonard Cohen’s Montreal (PDF download) by Christine Langlois (Reader’s Digest: October 2009) Leonard Cohen’s Montreal through the eyes of his lifelong friend, Mort Rosengarten
- A Short Walk in Leonard Cohen’s Westmount by T.F. Rigelhof (LeonardCohenFiles) Narrative about and photos of the Montreal neighborhood in which Leonard Cohen was raised.
- View Leonard Cohen’s Montreal home on interactive Google Map
- View Leonard Cohen’s childhood home in the Westmount section of Montreal on interactive Google Map
- Leonard Cohen’s Montreal (Prezi) An interactive map with Montreal landmarks associated with Leonard Cohen marked and described.
Leonard Cohen’s Hydra
- Leonard Cohen’s Hydra (LeonardCohenFiles) The story (with photos) of Leonard Cohen coming to Hydra & buying a home
- Take A Look Inside Leonard Cohen’s Hydra Home (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com) Links to photos of Leonard Cohen Hydra home and videos in which the home is featured
- Hydra Photos: Leonard Cohen’s Home & A Bird On The Wire (Cohencentric/AllanShowalter.com)
- Video: Leonard Cohen’s Poignant Recall Of Marianne & Hydra
- Map & Photos: Hydra (Google Maps)
Leonard Cohen’s Los Angeles & Mt Baldy Zen Center
- Photo Gallery: Mt Baldy Zen Center (Wikipedia)
- Map & Photos: Mt Baldy Zen Center (Google Maps)
- Interview with Stina Dabrowski (Video – Mount Baldy Zen Center 1997) Includes many scenes of the Mt Baldy Zen Center
- Survey Leonard Cohen’s Los Angeles Home, Neighborhood, & Leonard Himself With Google Maps Street View
Cohenite Connections
Leonard Cohen Forum
- LeonardCohenForum.com If Leonard Cohen had an official fan club (Leonard calls us “friends” not “fans”), this would be the official fan club site. It includes esoteric debates about kabbalistic influences on Cohen’s songs, detailed descriptions of the individual 2008-2013 concerts, ticket pre-sales, lust-driven discussions of Cohen’s attractions for women, official announcements of tours, and much, much more – as well as the occasional pronouncements from Cohen’s management or the Man himself delivered through webmaster Jarkko Arjatsalo. One can lurk and visit but not post without signing up. Registration is free and entails no untoward obligations. Highly recommended.
Leonard Cohen Facebook Groups
Facebook Groups are, by a large margin, where the most Leonard Cohen fan interaction takes place on a day to day basis. Discovering which Leonard Cohen Facebook Group fits a fan’s needs is largely a matter of trial and error. An incomplete list of general Leonard Cohen Groups, some public and some closed, follows: