Written with the co-operation and support of Leonard Cohen, including interviews, access to documents and meetings with close personal friends, this is a comprehensive biography of the singer/songwriter. Since the publication of "Let Us Compare Mythologies" in 1956, Leonard Cohen has held a prominent and at times controversial place in contemporary culture as both a serious writer and popular singer. In the 38 years of his career so far, Cohen has achieved global recognition in poetry, fiction and song. With the release of Jennifer Warne's 1986 album, "Famous Blue Raincoat", came the revival of his fame, and the introduction of his music to a new generation of listeners. Since then he has had success with the albums "I'm Your Man" and "The Future", and the recent release of his first book since 1984, "Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs", has enhanced his popularity with an ever increasing audience. Cohen's constant adjustment of his self image has led him across the world and back again in search of artistic and spiritual fulfilment. He has become a unique and mysterious figure who has found a new energy in his late fifties and sixties. Ira B.
Nadel examines the influence that Cohen's changing positions have had on his emerging sensibility and literary expression.