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"So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 9:20 pm
by Hartmut
"So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as- ... -1.3705989
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 10:43 pm
by HugoD
Thanks for sharing, I,ve listened to it with tears in my eyes. So beautiful and from the heart
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 10:20 pm
by Unspoken Words
That was very touching and brought tears to my eyes. Leonard's way with words and expression is wonderful. He captured their enduring 'endless love' and describing reaching out his hand and saying he will not be far behind Marianne...such comfort and amazing connection between two humans. The image of Marianne reaching out her hand on her death bed in response is the strength and belief personified of their true love. The power of words. So happy this last moment on earth was able to take place.
Watched the footage of Leonard singing and noticed for the first time that he placed an inflexion on the 'e' in the way Marianne described the pronunciation of her name on his first meeting. Another tender moment.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:52 pm
by cohenadmirer
such a lovely letter , but am I alone in feeling a little alarmed by the following segment ?:
it's come to this time when we are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 9:25 pm
by holydove
David, you are not alone, I was alarmed by it too. The only potential consolations I can think of, is that "very soon" is a relative term that can have a wide range of meaning; also, I'm sure Leonard meant to comfort Marianne by saying that they will soon be together again. So those thoughts might soften the alarm a bit, but given that we can't know specifically what Leonard meant by those words, I can't deny that it is still rather disturbing. . .
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 9:40 pm
by John K.
holydove wrote:David, you are not alone, I was alarmed by it too. The only potential consolations I can think of, is that "very soon" is a relative term that can have a wide range of meaning; also, I'm sure Leonard meant to comfort Marianne by saying that they will soon be together again. So those thoughts might soften the alarm a bit, but given that we can't know specifically what Leonard meant by those words, I can't deny that it is still rather disturbing. . .
I understand the concern that this passage raises, and I don't deny that I read that as well. Then I realized that I was possibly reading something into it that was not intended, especially as unlikely it is that Leonard would want to alarm Marianne in her last days.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 12:42 pm
by Florian
Just like some of you, i was a little disturbed or even shocked to read these words...
I try to take it not to litarlly, more as you said,to spend comfort to a dying friend.
That brought up another thought in my mind, maybe i'm the only one to look at it this way...but:
I think this letter should have not made public. I love to read about Leonard, all his words and thoughts and all information to get, but i think this is just privat, too privat. Hey, after all it is a goodby letter to a life-long love on her deathbed, i mean, how much more intimate can it get?
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 12:56 pm
by PeGu
Hartmut,
please count me among those who consider the breaking of privacy problematic. Before I found this thread, though, I did post the link (with a warning as to its quoting the letter) to the Idenpendent's article in the other threat
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=36702.
It was stupid of me not to have searched the forum before posting, please accept my apologies.
On the other hand, it is "nice" to see Leonard means so much in and to our cultural life that such news is 'honoured' (for the lack of a better word) by large-ish articles in national papers reaching far beyond the current popular mainstream.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 2:31 pm
by Hartmut
PeGu wrote:who consider the breaking of privacy problematic.
Yes, it is.
PeGu wrote:It was stupid of me not to have searched the forum before posting, please accept my apologies.
If that's the stupidest thing you've done lately, then you're far ahead of the curve.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 7:52 pm
by LisaLCFan
Florian wrote:...I think this letter should have not made public...
I agree with you completely. I was shocked when I saw the story...
[Remarks edited in light of further information.]
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:17 am
by 199Dan
Let me add my voice to those who also found this letter a personal note not for public view and reading. I'm surprised this got by the people who run this site.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:21 am
by yopietro
Is it possible that Leonard did give permission for his words to be shared with the world? After writing and talking about the relationship with Marianne in poems, interviews, and obviously songs, maybe his desire was for this coda to the relationship to be out in the world. I'm just saying it's a possibility considering how many what we would considerate "intimate" lines already exist in the public sphere.
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 7:05 am
by MarieM
This was posted on Leonard's Facebook page. It was posted on August 2, before Jan Christian Mollestad gave his interview to CBC Radio.
Leonard asked that this letter to him from Jan Christian Mollestad be used in this memorial:
"Dear Leonard
Marianne slept slowly out of this life yesterday evening. Totally at ease, surrounded by close friends.
Your letter came when she still could talk and laugh in full consciousness. When we read it aloud, she smiled as only Marianne can. She lifted her hand, when you said you were right behind, close enough to reach her.
It gave her deep peace of mind that you knew her condition. And your blessing for the journey gave her extra strength. Jan and her friends who saw what this message meant for her, will all thank you in deep gratitude for replying so fast and with such love and compassion.
In her last hour I held her hand and hummed Bird on a Wire, while she was breathing so lightly. And when we left the room, after her soul had flown out of the window for new adventures, we kissed her head and whispered your everlasting words So long, Marianne"
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:39 pm
by 199Dan
Thank you for clearing this up !
Re: "So long, Marianne. Leonard Cohen's final letter to his muse"
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:41 pm
by Born With The Gift Of A G