The Remarkable Life of Leonard Cohen: new biography (2010)

[jarkko]

Amazon is announcing another new book (thanks to Dominique Boile for finding this):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remarkable-Life ... 884&sr=8-1

The Remarkable Life of Leonard Cohen (Hardcover)
by Anthony Reynolds (Author)
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Omnibus Press (4 Oct 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1849381380
• ISBN-13: 978-1849381383

[holydove]

Jarkko, thank you for this info., how exciting! I will certainly look for the book. . .

[jarkko]

More about the author: http://hubpages.com/hub/British-Ballade ... y-Reynolds
Looks pretty strange; his previous books are weird - one on concrete design and some that look to be sci-fi/comic book.

[B4real]

Thanks for this info,

I hope the author of this book has experienced at least one Leonard Cohen concert.....not like Tim Footman who didn't....we all know the result of that! You don't have to be a fan to write this type of book but you do need to have had some actual contact with your subject matter. I look forward to learning more about the contents and circumstances of this new book with great anticipation and expectation.

[tomsakic]

This is from Omnibus Press so it's supposed to be more serious that something (or anthing) published/released by Chrome Dreams.

[B4real]

Thank you for the feedback Tom,

I remember you did say something neutral about Chome Dreams before the Footman book came out and you were right

[martbook]

Jarkoo! LOL!

Reynolds is a type of concrete design and a book about it comes up when you search "Reynolds" on amazon.

Our Mr. Cohen "Reynolds" has never written a book about concrete design.

[lightasabreeze]

Thanks. I will keep a look out for this, and I agree with B4real

[AnthonyR]

The sci fi concrete author is ANOTHER writer. Amazon links stuff to similiar or identical names, despite efforts from the authors.

The AR writing this Cohen book is this one -

www.anthonyreynolds.net

myspace.com/anthonyjreynolds

AR

[kokenpere]

If you search Anthony Reynolds on Wikipedia, you will find more information & credentials.

michael

[holydove]

Just want to say, I'm rather wary of new LC biographies at this point; I loved Various Positions (Nadel), and I REALLY loved Prophet of the Heart (Dorman & Rawlins), & I loved Jim Devlin's book; but I REALLY hated Tim Footman's book - could not even finish it. Which leads me to feel that it IS important for someone who writes a book about Mr. Cohen to be a fan - because I think that the love for LC drives the cusriosity & the willingness to make the effort to dig deeper, to go into alot of detail about the art AND the artist, & to make certain connections (e.g.w/historical events, family traditions, psychological implications, etc.) - to really try to discover & understand certain aspects/truths about this very complex, amazing, & unique individual. I just don't think a writer can do the intense work that is necessary in order to write well, about such a complex person, without feeling a real connection to him. (For instance, Dorman & Rawlins actually got 60 hours of interviews with LC; maybe LC gave them that because he felt their love, & sensed how they felt connected to him - that's just a guess, but even if that's not true, they clearly did alot of intense work in the writing of their book). But my main point is, I think Nadel's and Dorman & Rawlins' love for LC is connected to the quality, degree of detail, & depth of their writings.

And obviously some writers may be trying to cash in on the current wave of LC's popularity, & not really caring about the man or his art, or the quality of their own writing, or even the accuracy of their own information!

So if anyone finds any interesting info about this new author, feel free to reveal what you know. . .

[AnthonyR]

I am the author, and I am a 'fan' of both LC the man and his work. I wouldn't be able to write a book on a subject I had no interest in and I couldn't do an Albert Goldman and write about someone I was intruiged by but loathed, either.

Unfortunately (for a biographer at least, not for the man himself) LC is in a very different place to where he was when Nadel researched his (excellent) book. LC doesn't have time or inclination to contribute to yet another book about him. At least that's what I'm told. He may never even do another interview, full stop. And that's his right and Im respectful of his choice to use his time, as if my opinion on that even mattered anyway.

But I also don't believe one has to interview the subject to write a real, interesting, engaging, emotive account of that subjects work and life, either.

Ive published two other biographies this far - On the walker brothers and on Jeff Buckley. Doing promo for these books release, some DJ's etc couldn't seem to grasp as to how I had the balls to write a book on a subject without one on one access to them. This is plainly cockypop...how many biographies have I myself read and enjoyed ..on Capote, Hitler, Picasso, neruda, Elvis et al None of these subjects were available for comment.

Ive spoken so far to many of LC's musicians etc and this is a thrill - new info on old topics, insights - fesh - as to how the records were made.

I did also want the input of fans - how it looked at the time from the other side of the mirror as it were - so anyone interested in sharing their experiences, let me know. I did mention this here months ago when I started the book and got a mildly negative response.

But. I love LC's work, its been a balm to me, an inspiration, a guide, over the years in many facets of my life and work...

Even given the annoying and damnable restraints of time, this will be a true, Good book.

Selah.

AR

www.anthonyreynolds.net

[kevwill]

Hi AnthonyR
Many thanks for posting here, and I'm now looking forward even more to reading your book. You do realise (of course you do) that writing about someone like LC is tantamount to inviting brickbats. I'm sure Peter Jackson had similar realisations when putting LOTR on film. He did it, so can you. Good luck.
K

[holydove]

AnthonyR, thank you for your post. I'm very glad to hear that you have been inspired, comforted, guided, etc. by Mr. Cohen's work, and it sounds like your interest in The Man and his Art is sincere. I didn't mean to attack you or anyone with my previous post, it's just that I felt that Footman's book was virtually an insult to this Man whom I consider a Holy Man, & whose Art I consider sacred, & it broke my heart that someone would write about him with such apparent carelessness. I'm sure you can understand that.

It sounds like you do care, and I am grateful that you would take on the difficult task of writing about LC. I wish you all the best, & I will check out your book. . .

Thank you again for taking the time to post here. ..

[phillip]

The Perfect person I feel who could write a good honest biography on LC is erm Jarkko himself!