Alberto Manzano, September 2009.
Illuminated by Him, he returned from an Aegean island with the mission to evangelize our lands.
If this is a politic party, we know who is our Secretary-General. Another way to see it would be like an army ready to take first Manhattan, then Berlin, Master would like that organization, we would spoke of generals, captains and the entire hierarchy. For an atheist like me, I prefer to imagine a religion, Leonard likes the religions too, in this case Alberto Manzano would be the apostle destined to my parish, as others scattered over the face of the earth. I think I've been lucky.
Since 2009, Alberto Manzano has continued to publish, I updated the catalog:
Palabras, poemas y recuerdos de Leonard Cohen; Alberto Manzano; interview winter 2007 SPA - translated lyrics and poems ENG-SPA ; Ediciones Alfabia Barcelona 2009. 79p. Paperback. 20x13cm. ISBN 978-84-937348-2-4.
Leonard Cohen - La Biografia; Alberto Manzano; biography; Libros Cupula, 2010. 310p. ISBN 978-8448068394.
Leonard Cohen en España; Alberto Manzano; collection of photographs, articles and other; Quarentena Ediciones 2010. 176p 24,5x31,5cm. ISBN 9788493788087.
Ilustrisimo Sr. Cohen - 24 Canciones de Leonard Cohen ilustradas; Alberto Manzano; Drawings on 24 songs ; prologe: Aute ; SPA ; 451 Editores, Madrid, 2011.
86p. coberta dura 30x30cm. ISBN 9788492891177.
El libro de la misericordia - Book Of Mercy (1984); translation by Alberto Manzano; Visor Libros 2011 ENG-SPA. 128p. Paperback. ISBN: 9788498957976.
Leonard Cohen: Lorca, el flamenco y el judio errante; Alberto Manzano; Lorca and flamenco influences in Cohen work; Ediciones Alfabia Barcelona 2012. 356p. ISBN 9788475883175.
A mil besos de profundidad - Canciones y Poemas 1956-1978. Volumen 1; translation by Alberto Manzano; selection of poems and songs; Visor Libros / Colección Visor de Poesía, Madrid 2012 SPA. 251p Paperback. ISBN: 9788498958041.
A mil besos de profundidad - Canciones y Poemas 1979-2006. Volumen 2; translation by Alberto Manzano; selection of poems and songs ; Visor Libros / Colección Visor de Poesía, Madrid 2012 SPA. 185p Paperback. ISBN: 9788498958058.
In the 1989 interview with Adrienne Clarkson in the Leonard house in Montreal, we can see the book "Canciones y nuevos poemas vol. 2" on the table.
There is another book with a collection of Manzano interviews with Cohen and others.
I fondly keep anonymous mimeographed documents, purchased around 1978 without copyright but it was stuff no edited wanted for the fans. Alberto Manzano acknowledges as own the edition in the book "Leonard Cohen in Spain" (2010). I loved these books; they are part of my life. The songs translation of 1979 “Canciones” has the pages lose due to overuse.
But to be honest, every time I see a new book from Manzano, I say: again more of the same. Years later, when I update my Leonard’s world, I read and discover new contributions, unknown contents and points of views that I had not imagined. The personal view of Manzano over Cohen is outstanding.
The book, at the beginning of this post, is really short. In addition to the interview, winter 2007, studies the work evolution: "Chelsea Hotel", "Fire" and "Alexandra Leaving", plus manuscripts and photos.
"La Biografía" 2010 (The Biography), I read it a month ago at the same time that the Simmons 2012. For me, Manzano is more personal and deep, but does not include any quote, not even for himself, he is "the journalist". The content is too accelerated at the end. I do not like that so conclusive title for someone who has not written the last chapter. ("A Fistful Of Gitanes", the Serge Gainsbourg biography written by Simmons, than I read these days, was published in Spain as "The Biography" also, editors things.)
For me, know biographies it’s more than gossip, well, with the time can be normal some kind of curiosity or sympathy. Mainly it’s for best work knowledge. Leonard Cohen says than his work is autobiographical (interview Jordi Sierra i Fabra for Popular 1, Barcelona Oct. 12 1974). Cohen believes that the artist must be sincere; communication must be based on the honest expression of feelings and circumstances. Even though his work can function ignoring his life. For example, the famous Suzanne evokes powerful images, but then, knowing his biography we realize that the character and location are fully true.
Manzano now writes thematic biographies, let’s say. In the book "Lorca, el flamenco y el judío errante" 2012, digs into his influences. With this title I thought it would tend to his own side, not at all. It’s truth than he reviews the biography seeking whatever close to Lorca, gypsy, flamenco and Jewish. But also he discuss over other influences: Ashkenazi / Yiddish Jews, Sufi mysticism (Rumi), Christianity (Catholicism - Mary the Irish nanny), Buddhism (zen, haiku), Hinduism (Vedanta), the mythology of the Spanish Civil War, the French Resistance, the imagism (Ezra Pound), Yeats, beats, Cavafy, all kinds of music and more and more. The cultural and intellectual knowledge of Leonard Cohen is immense. I do not know in LA, but still in Montreal, sitting in the Parc du Portugal, I see Leonard as a classic ancient European man with roots thousands years deep.