The Flame is a collection of Leonard Cohen's last poems, lyrics, prose and his illustrative sketches. It also has selections from his notebooks from throughout his life. He compiled in in the last months of his life, leaving instructions as to how to organize three different sections: his chosen unpublished works, poems that became lyrics in his later albums and notebook selections. It also has his wonderful acceptance speech for the Prince of Asturias Award, given to him in Spain in 2100.
He passed before it was edited and then published in 2018. A wonderful look at a poet's inner workings and how he took his time to get his works right.
A fabulous tribute to this Poet/Song writer in his own words.

Leonard Cohen fans and poets/lyricists may enjoy this and perhaps identify with the struggle to create.

The poems and the self sketches and scraps of notes with his thoughts about himself and his thinking.
I enjoyed his son Adam's foreward and Cohen's speech says so much about him.

I wanted to go and tell people about it as I know many who might not have known about it and do to more research on his fascinating life. Always good to praise a fellow Canadian.

I was inspired reading the book as I marvelled at the poet/lyricist who kept on doing what he loved and felt the call to from his childhood to his death.

Leonard Cohen's artistic career began in 1956 with a first poetry book and he went on to become an iconic figure in the literary and music world. He was a poet and novelist in the 1950's and 60's and his music career began in 1967. He explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality and romantic relationships.

He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, The Songwriters' Hall of Fame and the Rock and then into the Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, recieved a Grammy Lifetime Acheivement Award in 2010 and the Prince Asturias Award for Literature and the Glenn Gould Prize in 2011.
He died on Nov. 7, 2016 of leukemia.

It is fascinating look inside this poet's mind as a thinker and explorer of our world. And he is a Canadian icon with an interesting story.

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Created Feb 26, 2019 at 5:41pm • Submit your own review...