A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of 2020 Posner undertook dozens and dozens of interviews . . . creating a unique oral history, as if theyre in a room together, sharing memories and stories. . . . Theyre linked together with a light narrative voice that gives this biography a very intimate and personal feel. Toronto Star The life of Leonard Cohenpoet, novelist, artist, Zen monk, and oh, yes, singer-songwriteris too vast to be contained within one book. Thankfully, Posner is giving us three. . . . Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to explore Cohens private and public lives, his complexities and contradictions, and, of course, his inarguable charisma. Serve yourself some tea and oranges and settle in. Zoomer Through these stories, a unique portrait of a young Leonard Cohen is revealed, with insights into not only his extraordinary life but also his timeless poetry and music. ANNE MURRAY, Grammy Awardwinning singer Posner masterfully weaves an abundance of interviews with Cohens family, friends, and myriad lovers to create an intricate tapestry and, ultimately, produces the most revealing portrait of the legendary songwriter and wordsmith to date. NICHOLAS JENNINGS, journalist and bestselling author of Lightfoot Out of a welter of storiesfrom those who encountered Leonard Cohen as associate, friend, or loverMichael Posner has shaped a fascinating multi-faceted portrait. Posner is indeed Cohens Boswell, no doubt about it. SEYMOUR MAYNE, poet, editor, and translator Offers an impressively thorough excavation of stories, including some gems and, well, dirt. Together, [ Posners] various positions and perspectives create a cubist portrait of the Montreal-born icon as a young manand simultaneously an artist, intellectual, prankster, bon vivant, workaholic, and dabbler in everything . . . If Cohens your man and youre his fan, youll want this book. Macleans Posner masterfully weaves the story of the iconic musicians life through hundreds of interviews with the people who knew him best, including family members, business partners, and lovers alike. Chatelaine Leonard Cohens posthumous album in 2019 proved he still had something profound to say, even in death. This book likewise confirms that hundreds of others have their own tales to tell about the master songwriter. The first of three volumes, it covers his early life via a myriad of fascinating interviewees, from rabbis to lovers. . . . Give it to anyone who misses Cohen. Evening Standard As the anecdotes accumulate up until 1970, they build a compelling picture of the worlds around [ Cohen]affluent Montreal suburbia, Canadian Jewish summer camps, beatnik coffeehouses, jetset bohemiagrounding his myth in solid context, enriching it with casual detail. . . . As with any good oral history, the stories and opinions slowly coalesce like pointillist dots, shifting into a complex portrait of a man stepping into his myth, becoming brilliant. MOJO Magazine Sex, drugs, and poetry permeate this oral history of Leonard Cohen. . . . This book offers a seductive blend of sometimes contradictory insights. Library Journal A detailed account of Cohens fascinating early life and career. For serious Cohen fans, its a page-tuner. Canadian Jewish Record [ The] multiple perspectives capture man and myth in tandem. For all of his gift for words, Cohen would have struggled to tell his story better himself. Uncut Magazine
