Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen (Leonard Norman Cohen) was born on September 21st, 1934. Leonard passed away November 7th, 2016 at 82 years old. Leonard Cohen was born in Westmount, Québec, Canada. Cohen attended McGill University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Cohen also studied at the Columbia University School of General Studies.
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian poet, songwriter, singer, and novelist who had a reputation for tackling themes of human longing, love, loss, and faith.
The son of an Orthodox Jewish family, his first foray into creative pursuits was when he published his first collection of poems in 1956, titled
Let Us Compare Mythologies. He would later publish novels, starting with his debut in 1963, titled
The Favorite Game.
During the 1960s, he got into music and in 1967 he released
Songs of Leonard Cohen, his debut album. His poetic lyrics and baritone voice got him much critical acclaim, and some of his songs, such as
So Long Marianne and
Suzanne would become classics.
Over the years, Cohen’s music went through an evolution as it incorporated different styles from synthesizer-driven sounds to folk. During the 1990s, he spent some time in seclusion at a Zen monastery before he came back into the public eye and released albums such as
Dear Heather and
Ten New Songs during the 2000s.
Between 2008 and 2013, Leonard Cohen toured extensively, captivating audiences across the globe.
You Want It Darker, his final studio album, came out in 2016 just before he died aged 82.
For his work in literature and music, he has won many accolades, He has been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
While he started writing short story collections, he published his debut novel,
The Favorite Game, in 1963. This is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age work about a Jewish boy from Montreal known as Lawrence Breavman.
The work follows the lead as he deals with personal identity, artistic ambition, and intricate relationships, even as he sacrifices intimacy to achieve his artistic goals.
It is a work that provides a look into the author's early voice as a student of the arts, as it blends narrative storytelling with poetic language.
In 1966, Leonard Cohen published
Beautiful Losers, an experimental novel set in Quebec during the 1960s that combined themes of political identity, spirituality, and sexuality.
The work follows an unnamed protagonist who mourns the deaths of his lover and friend, F and Edith, and his wife. The lead also explores the life of Catherine Tekakwitha, the Mohawk saint from the 17th century, from the perspective of the intersection of mysticism and eroticism.
Leonard Cohen’s
A Ballet of Lepers is a collection of his earliest fiction works. The recurring themes in the collection include the struggle for transcendence, sexual desire, longing, and shame, all of which would be prominent in his later songs.
Leonard Cohen: Awards & Accolades
Cohen's book, The Flame was nominated for the Audie Award, Best Short Stories or Collections, in 2019.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Leonard Cohen are:
- George Orwell, author of the novel: 1984.
- J.D. Salinger, author of the novel: The Catcher in the Rye.
- William Golding, author of the novel: Lord of the Flies.
- Harper Lee, author of the To Kill a Mockingbird Series.
- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
Leonard Cohen: F.A.Q
When was Leonard Cohen Born?
Leonard Cohen was born on September 21st, 1934.
When did Leonard Cohen die?
Leonard Cohen died on November 7th, 2016 at 82 years old.
Where was Leonard Cohen Born?
Leonard Cohen was born in Westmount, Québec, Canada.
What was the first book Leonard Cohen wrote?
The first book written by Leonard Cohen was Let Us Compare Mythologies, published in 1956.
What was the most recent book Leonard Cohen wrote?
His most recently released work was A Ballet of Lepers and Stories on October 11th, 2022.
How many books has Leonard Cohen written?
Leonard Cohen has written 16 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 3 Standalone Novels, 13 books in the Collections.