Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen - (Musicians in Their Own Words) by Jeff Burger (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Leonard Cohen, one of the most admired performers of the last half century, has had a strange and eventful life. Now, for the first time, he tells his story in his own words, via more than fifty interviews conducted worldwide between 1966 and 2012.

In Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen--which includes a foreword by singer Suzanne Vega and eight pages of rarely seen photos--the artist talks about "Bird on the Wire," "Hallelujah," "Famous Blue Raincoat," and his other classic songs. He candidly discusses his famous romances, his years in a Zen monastery, his ill-fated collaboration with producer Phil Spector, and his long battle with depression. He also comments on his classic poetry and novels, the financial crisis that nearly wiped out his savings, and his remarkable late-career resurgence.

Here you'll find interviews that first appeared in the New York Times and Rolling Stone, along with conversations that have not previously been printed in English. Some have been broadcast but never published. And some of the material has not been available until now in any format, including the many illuminating reminiscences that contributors supplied specifically for this definitive anthology.

Review Quotes

"A treasure trove for Leonard Cohen fans--the dazzling, wide-ranging collection of interviews that Jeff Burger has unearthed not only offers the songwriter's story in his own words but reveals that Cohen's language in conversation can be every bit as magnificent as his lyrics." --Alan Light, author, The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"

"Burger's discerning editorial hand selects those conversations with Cohen that offer insights into his music. For longtime fans as well as newcomers to Cohen's work." --Publishers Weekly

"That Cohen is brilliant is no revelation, but to witness that brilliance so lovingly expressed over the years is pure joy. That such a mind exists is hard to fathom, yet here's the proof. He's as funny as a great humorist, as wise as a scholar, and speaks in parables and poems almost as perfect as his songs. This is a great and rare window into the dedication it takes to be a true artist in modern times. Engrossing, entertaining, and endlessly inspirational." --Paul Zollo, author, Songwriters on Songwriting

" Jeff Burger has selected interviews and quotes, many of which haven't [previously] been published in English, that will prove as fascinating to Cohen newcomers as to his most diehard fans."-- Parade magazine

"I love the way Cohen speaks [in this book]--he is so disarming and seductive. I always burst out laughing; he is funny and deep."--Bella Freud, Vanity Fair

About the Author

Jeff Burger is the editor of Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters. He has contributed to Barron's, Family Circle, GQ, the Los Angeles Times, Reader's Digest, and more than seventy-five other magazines, newspapers, and books, including many national and international music periodicals. He has published interviews with such leading musicians as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Waits, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan. He lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey.