leonardcohenforum.com

Joe, you are welcome. I am rather alarmed at how much I have to catch up on with regard to reviews and views on The Book of Longing and Blue Alert on here. I will acquire both items at the end of May, so I will enjoy reading the threads in this section as a kind of warm up.

Thanks Lizzy. I just cliked on that video late one night, and was quite amazed by it. The lyrics are wonderful, and I think there is something special about songs when they are new to you, and before they are analysed. Maybe you can lose something if you are too eager to try to pin down exactly what the lyrics "mean" and to find out what other people's interpretations are.

I'm in feast-or-famine mode with everything that's appeared in my life lately.

That's an interesting statement. I feel there is so much to feast on in life at the moment, but a dearth of time in which to do it. But there's no doubt it is better that way, than the other way around...

Time for me to dash,

Love,

Diane

Hi Diane ~

Catching up is a trip, isn't it!?! I'm still trying to do the same. With working my additional jobs, plus having [once again ] returned to a 10-hour-day, 4-day workweek, with Mondays off, time is so limited. When I'm here, I need to stay more than caught up so I don't return on Tuesdays to already being behind.

I agree with the visceral approach to Leonard's songs and music... it is what it is for you.

Yes ~ When I arrived home from New Orleans [the first feast], the audio copy of the program on the Suzanne of today in L.A. was waiting for me. So was the mail notice indicating I had to go to the post office, to retrieve Leonard's Book of Longing. Two days later, I had another one and went to pick up Anjani's "Blue Alert." I brought home with me a gift from Squidgy, a compilation of incredible columns by Chris Rose, normally an Arts & Entertainment writer for the Times-Picayune, the primary newspaper of New Orleans. However, the title of this book is 1 dead in attic and it's as powerful as the name suggests, as he chronicled his observations on the Katrina months. As Squidgy said, he has an acerbic wit, which comes through in these entries; nonetheless, the heartbreak of it all bleeds through in virtually every line. I use my luggage marker from my bus trip to New Orleans as my bookmark. An extremely sensitive man.

I'm so fully drawn to every item that's appeared. I listened at work to the Suzanne program [less so to this, if I had to compare everything straight-up], and then put on Anjani... at the moment, work is the only locale from which I can listen to her. Very frustrating that is! I want so much to surround myself with her voice in a normal environment. I don't use a bookmark for Leonard's book, as I enjoy finding my place each time, with some of the already-read poems coming into view for second readings. I was so delighted to see that the shortest, most incisive love poem ever, claimed its space in Leonard's little book:

The Sweetest Little Song

You go your way
I'll go your way too

I read some of Chris's book and some of Leonard's book each night, and on the weekend, I take sporadic breaks with a little of each. They each compel me for different reasons.

Feast or famine. Thank G~d for this feast.

Love,
Lizzy