A voluminous account of Leonard Cohen as pained artist and superseducer. For die-hard fans only.
An exhaustive oral history of the Canadian icon, focusing on his sexual escapades.
Many of the stories in Canadian journalist Posner's lengthy book appeared in Sylvie Simmons' acclaimed 2012 biography of Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), I'm Your Man. But Posner certainly turned over a lot of stones in his quest to come up with fresh stories about the great songwriter and poet. Drawing from more than 500 firsthand sources, the author chronicles Cohen’s privileged boyhood in Montreal, his literary life at McGill University, and his career-making meeting with "Suzanne" interpreter Judy Collins. Though Posner touches on Cohen's love-hate relationship with his mother, his insecurities as a singer, and his brushes with LSD, Scientology, Bob Dylan, depression, and guns, the author seems most interested in keeping score of the number of women this prolific romancer bedded—and then documented in his songs. Though Posner frequently uses the terms "decency," "honesty," and "warmth" to describe Cohen, they don't always apply to his treatment of women. During his epic, on-and-off affair with Marianne Ihlen, which stretched from the Greek island of Hydra to New York, he forced her into having as many as five abortions, according to folk artist Julie Felix. "There were few 18-year-old women that Cohen failed to seduce, including virgins,” writes Posner. Adds Carol Zemel, a distinguished art historian who was a friend of Cohen's from the 1960s, "The womanizing was intense. It drove me crazy over the years. And all the men around him were treated to the women, whether they were married men or not." Such revelations could taint the image of the courtly gentleman that Cohen created for himself in his twilight years—and lower expectations for Volume 2 of this long-winded project.
A voluminous account of Leonard Cohen as pained artist and superseducer. For die-hard fans only.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9821-5263-5
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
This autobiography might almost be said to supply the roots to Wright's famous novel, Native Son.
It is a grim record, disturbing, the story of how — in one boy's life — the seeds of hate and distrust and race riots were planted. Wright was born to poverty and hardship in the deep south; his father deserted his mother, and circumstances and illness drove the little family from place to place, from degradation to degradation. And always, there was the thread of fear and hate and suspicion and discrimination — of white set against black — of black set against Jew — of intolerance. Driven to deceit, to dishonesty, ambition thwarted, motives impugned, Wright struggled against the tide, put by a tiny sum to move on, finally got to Chicago, and there — still against odds — pulled himself up, acquired some education through reading, allied himself with the Communists — only to be thrust out for non-conformity — and wrote continually. The whole tragedy of a race seems dramatized in this record; it is virtually unrelieved by any vestige of human tenderness, or humor; there are no bright spots. And yet it rings true. It is an unfinished story of a problem that has still to be met.
Perhaps this will force home unpalatable facts of a submerged minority, a problem far from being faced.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1945
ISBN: 0061130249
Page Count: 450
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1945
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.
The veteran newscaster reflects on her triumphs and hardships, both professional and private.
In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Couric (b. 1957) transforms the events of her long, illustrious career into an immensely readable story—a legacy-preserving exercise, for sure, yet judiciously polished and insightful, several notches above the fray of typical celebrity memoirs. The narrative unfolds through a series of lean chapters as she recounts the many career ascendency steps that led to her massively successful run on the Today Show and comparably disappointing stints as CBS Evening News anchor, talk show host, and Yahoo’s Global News Anchor. On the personal front, the author is candid in her recollections about her midlife adventures in the dating scene and deeply sorrowful and affecting regarding the experience of losing her husband to colon cancer as well as the deaths of other beloved family members, including her sister and parents. Throughout, Couric maintains a sharp yet cool-headed perspective on the broadcast news industry and its many outsized personalities and even how her celebrated role has diminished in recent years. “It’s AN ADJUSTMENT when the white-hot spotlight moves on,” she writes. “The ego gratification of being the It girl is intoxicating (toxic being the root of the word). When that starts to fade, it takes some getting used to—at least it did for me.” Readers who can recall when network news coverage and morning shows were not only relevant, but powerfully influential forces will be particularly drawn to Couric’s insights as she tracks how the media has evolved over recent decades and reflects on the negative effects of the increasing shift away from reliable sources of informed news coverage. The author also discusses recent important cultural and social revolutions, casting light on issues of race and sexual orientation, sexism, and the predatory behavior that led to the #MeToo movement. In that vein, she expresses her disillusionment with former co-host and friend Matt Lauer.
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-53586-1
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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