Leonard Cohen, the Modern Troubadour

General discussion about Leonard Cohen's songs and albums
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Jirka
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Leonard Cohen, the Modern Troubadour

Post by Jirka »

Dear members of the forum,

I'd like to let you know about the recent book published on Leonard Cohen that is already available in the e-shop of Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic.

https://www.vydavatelstviupol.cz/en/978-80-244-5784-0 (paperback)
https://www.vydavatelstviupol.cz/en/978-80-244-5787-1 (iPDF)

Description

This monograph arose from thinking about the literary tradition as described by the Anglo-American modernist writers Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot. In their view, the tradition of European love-lyrics crystallized in the work of the medieval Occitan troubadours, who represented the cultural and political milieu of the Occitanie of that period and whose work reflected the religious influences of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The main subject of their poetry was the worship of a divinized feminine character resembling the Virgin Mary, the Gnostic Sophia, or the ancient Mother Goddess. Their literary preoccupations further flourished in Tuscany, as well as among the German Minnesängers, and at the court of the Sicilian King Frederick II (1194–1250), from where they infiltrated into English literature during the Renaissance. In this period, Classical literature, in combination with troubadour poetry, became the cornerstone of English artistic production. However, it is not so well known that troubadour poetry took as its model the medieval poetry written in Andalusian Arabic. This enigmatic essence is what makes this literature so relevant as it is the first instance of the synthesizing of religions, mythologies, philosophies, literatures, symbols, and motifs coming from cultures other than our own. Nowadays, it is not surprising that contemporary artists draw on the troubadour poets and that they are even contrasted with them by critics. Such is the case of Leonard Cohen, who, during his career, revealed erudition in medieval poetry and religion and whose work shows many parallels with the work of his Occitan and Andalusian predecessors. For this reason, the book presents a comparison of the texts and motifs present in their works and refers to another important facet of their œuvre: religion and mysticism. The purpose is to highlight the importance of troubadour poetry in the rise of popular culture in the second half of the 20th century.


Jiří Měsíc holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. His main interests are the mystical branches of Abrahamic religions (Christian mysticism, Kabbalah, Sufism) and their echoes in popular literature and song, especially in the work of the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Besides this, he is a published poet and translator of John Pass, Ariana Reines and Gertrude Stein into Czech. Currently, he teaches courses on modern language, anthropology, Christianity and ethics at ESIC University in Madrid, Spain.
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jarkko
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Re: Leonard Cohen, the Modern Troubadour

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Title: Leonard Cohen, the Modern Troubadour
Author: Jiří Měsíc
Country & Year: Czech Republic, 2020
Publisher: Palacký University Press
Language: English
Pages: 228
ISBN: 978-80-244-5784-0 (paperback)
978-80-244-5787-1 (electronic version)
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
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jarkko
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Re: Leonard Cohen, the Modern Troubadour

Post by jarkko »

From Jiri:
I'd like to let you know that I have 40 copies available to send worldwide. My contact email is jirimesic@gmail.com. I may send these copies individually.

Another way is to order the book through the publishing house (https://www.vydavatelstviupol.cz/en/978-80-244-5784-0 - paperback, and https://www.vydavatelstviupol.cz/en/978-80-244-5787-1 - electronic version).
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
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