Dear Heather - signs and symbols

robertchao · Post by **robertchao** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:47 am

What's that squared symbol that looks like a Chinese signature stamp?

It looks like Leonard scanned his drawings into a computer but printed or scanned them at a very low resolution, so you can see the pixels.

Who is that person the album is dedicated to?

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:05 pm

Jack McClelland (the person to whom abum is dedicated to) passed this summer. He was most famous Canadian publisher (of McClelland&Stewart). He published all Leonard's book; I guess that Leonard's career as a writer would be much harder that McClelland didn's have great faith in his talents.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:10 pm

robertchao wrote:What's that squared symbol that looks like a Chinese signature stamp?

You think on the "entwined hearts"? That's the logo for Various Positions (1984), originally taken from book cover of Book of Mercy (1984). It's the redesigned Jewish star, and it represents Cohen's Order of the Unyfied Heart.

Tchocolatl · Post by **Tchocolatl** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:00 pm

What is happening to you Tom?

Did you want to shake your reputation of "scholar cohenite"? (I would miss you, then) Too much burried under your books, distracted when you answered? Took a little break, eyes all tired?

Did you think that robertchao was not serious?

And what if he is?

"What's that squared symbol that looks like a Chinese signature stamp?"

This is what I am wondering. Sorry,

Heather seems to be a mythical person.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:52 pm

I guess that he thought on that other symbol printed on main page under this one I copied. But maybe you right, I simply didn't have nerves. I did look thru all drawing at The Blackening Pages, but I didn't find the second one, beuase it doesn't look like Chinese stamp to me

So, please be more specific.

As for dedication, the album IS dedicated to the memory of Jack McClelland (1922-2004). So I am right this time at least. I'm maybe simply have enough of this "Who's Heather?" question.

Well, the hell, who's she?
Who's Rebbeca, by the way. Also the qestion whcih cannot be answered. The same as Heather. It's not Marianne or Suzanne this time, oh no.
I'll took the vacation

Now who will anser me: what are some of those drawings means? The can, candle and some "grumbac" (?) on Dear Heather lyrics' page?

Tchocolatl · Post by **Tchocolatl** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 1:00 am

"Now who will anser me: what are some of those drawings means? The can, candle and some "grumbac" (?) on Dear Heather lyrics' page?"

At first sight, it has seem to me to be the objects little Leonard associated with the maid. Maids clean candlesticks, maids clean the house with cleaning products, they drink soda - Coca cola, Sprite, Canada Dry, Pepsi, etc. (free publicity!) and all those companies offer their products in the same can format. The only thing, is : this sort of can where not yet on the market at the time of TFG - but they are at the time of DH. I would go further but you have just said you are tired of discussing this subject.

Change of subject - I found, looking at drawings in the booklet, how accurate he was in the details.

Robertchao was probably talking about Mr. McClelland, indeed. Robertchao?

I would really like to now, however for the sign. I wonder for some times, now.

mpetit · Post by **mpetit** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:44 am

The small square symbol is the mark of "Jikan" the Silent One, Leonard's Name as a monk. It is his personal symbol, a logo if you like. You will see it here and there in the cd booklet, and also in the new book,

The Grumbacher, etc. is a still life from a table top in Montreal. He likes to do still life subjects sometimes, and is quite a good observer. It seemed to fit rather well with the playful, casual tone of 'Dear Heather,' so we used it on that page.

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:58 am

Tom:

You're not serious about Rebecca are you? Tell me you're just kidding. Please.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:00 pm

Tchocolatl wrote:At first sight, it has seem to me to be the objects little Leonard associated with the maid. Maids clean candlesticks, maids clean the house with cleaning products, they drink soda - Coca cola, Sprite, Canada Dry, Pepsi, etc. (free publicity!) and all those companies offer their products in the same can format. The only thing, is : this sort of can where not yet on the market at the time of TFG - but they are at the time of DH.

Well, that's excellent. I think you're right, but them we suppose that Heather after all is the maid from The Favourite Game? I'd like that you tell more in that direction you started

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:10 pm

mpetit wrote:The small square symbol is the mark of "Jikan" the Silent One, Leonard's Name as a monk. It is his personal symbol, a logo if you like. You will see it here and there in the cd booklet, and also in the new book

Well, excellent, but how do you know that it will be in the new book. After all - will there be a new book; we're waiting for it since it was written in 1999.

mpetit wrote:The Grumbacher, etc. is a still life from a table top in Montreal. He likes to do still life subjects sometimes, and is quite a good observer. It seemed to fit rather well with the playful, casual tone of 'Dear Heather,' so we used it on that page.

OK, I'm trying to get you:

Meriam-Webster:
>>Main Entry: still life
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural still lifes
1 : a picture consisting predominantly of inanimate objects
2 : the category of graphic arts concerned with inanimate subject matter<<

>>Main Entry: tabletop
Function: noun
1 : the top of a table
2 : a photograph of small objects or a miniature scene arranged on a table<<

Still Life is the name of Leonard's home studio, above his garage, isn't it? There were both TNS and DH made (plus Small Mercies, Sharon's home studio).
According to google, Grumbacher is supplier of paints, brushes and other similar stuff for painters etc.

mpetit wrote:He likes to do still life subjects sometimes, and is quite a good observer. It seemed to fit rather well with the playful, casual tone of 'Dear Heather,' so we used it on that page.

Who is he? Leonard? Now I wonder, how do you know all this?

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:28 pm

Linda,

Tom Sakic wrote:Who's Rebbeca, by the way. Also the qestion whcih cannot be answered. The same as Heather. It's not Marianne or Suzanne this time, oh no.

I'm not joking. I was just trying to tease

Heather is the second name in Leonard's songs we will probably never undestand completely.
You know, it's easy to say that dedication of The Future album for Rebecca (the Bible quotation) can be read as dedication for both Biblical and the real Rebecca (de Mornay).
But what if we know that Leonard in 1974/1975 recorded an album titled Songs For Rebecca (abandoned, never released)? 20 years before Rebecca de Mornay (two c, two c, not two b, tom - or is it two b?). Who's Rebecca then, and - like with Heather - it's hard to completely understand all Biblical/mythologic/etc connotation. When Leonard wrote Suzanne with Suzanne Vaillancourt as idea for the woman's name (the name wasn't important, the song is about Montreal and every other name could come in), years later he found the woman of his life, the real Suzanne Elrod. He claimed he evoked her with the song. But it's still easy connect Marianne or Suzanne's names with the songs&poems, but it becomes very difficult to deal with the metaphorical/metonymic/mythological/religious connotation for Rebecca or Heather.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:38 pm

mpetit wrote:so we used it on that page.

WE

Well, sorry, sorry, I just realised at this very moment that "we" and connected your nickname with Michael Petit - well, I am sometimes so slow. I am very glad and honoured to meet you

I like your design very much, particularly Cohen Live. When we started to work on our site, we had an idea to use the temple drawing/the temple logo from More Best Of and The Essential, as the logo for our site. We didn't suceed but we made great banner based on TNS art cover (http://www.leonardcohencroatia.com). In any case, I still adore that temple and still keep in my mind for some future Cohen web project (there are few in planning) - how can we get good and useful scan of logo? (our idea was to scan it from The Essential, but it's to small. We tried to draw ot ourself also

)
Well, Michael, nice to have you here sometimes and say hello to Leonard when you see him.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:39 pm

There will be the new book! This day is excellent!

tom.d.stiller · Post by **tom.d.stiller** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:54 pm

Great news! Greater news!! Greatest news!!!

Michael already posted this information a few weeks ago: viewtopic.php?p=32893

Had I only connected the nick with the name!

Nice to meet'ya, Michael, btw. Great work.

Tom

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:57 pm

Oh, great, I am not the only one slow here

The two Toms

I missed that:

Let your 'hearts be at ease,' production is under way on the new book, and it ought to be heading off to the publisher fairly soon (possibly by year's end).

Dear Heather - signs and symbols

Dear Heather - signs and symbols

Re: Dear Heather - signs and symbols

booklet graphics

Re: booklet graphics

Re: booklet graphics