Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius

'Leonard Cohen taught us that even in the midst of darkness there
is light, in the midst of hatred there is love, with our dying
breath we can still sing Hallelujah.' - The late Rabbi Lord
Jonathan Sacks

'Among the finest volumes on Cohen's life and lyrics ... An
exploration which would have intrigued and engaged Leonard
himself.' - John McKenna, writer and friend of Leonard Cohen

Harry Freedman uncovers the spiritual traditions that lie behind
Leonard Cohen's profound and unmistakable lyrics

The singer and poet Leonard Cohen was deeply learned in Judaism and
Christianity, the spiritual traditions that underpinned his
self-identity and the way he made sense of the world. In this book
Harry Freedman, a leading author of cultural and religious history,
explores the mystical and spiritual sources Cohen drew upon,
discusses their original context and the stories and ideas behind
them.

Cohen's music is studded with allusions to Jewish and Christian
tradition, to stories and ideas drawn from the Bible, Talmud and
Kabbalah. From his 1967 classic 'Suzanne', through masterpieces
like 'Hallelujah' and 'Who by Fire', to his final challenge to the
divinity, 'You Want It Darker' he drew on spirituality for
inspiration and as a tool to create understanding, clarity and
beauty.

Born into a prominent and scholarly Jewish family in Montreal,
Canada, Cohen originally aspired to become a poet, before turning
to song writing and eventually recording his own compositions.
Later, he became immersed in Zen Buddhism, moving in 1990 to a Zen
monastery on Mount Baldy, California where he remained for some
years. He died, with immaculate timing, on the day before Donald
Trump was elected in 2016, leaving behind him a legacy that will be
felt for generations to come.

Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius looks deeply into the
imagination of one of the greatest singers and lyricists of our
time, providing a window on the landscape of his soul. Departing
from traditional biographical approaches, Freedman explores song by
song how Cohen reworked myths and prayers, legends and allegories.
By the end the reader will be left with a powerful understanding of
Cohen's story, together with a far broader insight into the
mystical origins of his inimitable work.

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