Podcast Extra: Looking Back with Leonard Cohen

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host: David Remnick
Date: November 10, 2016

Episode Overview

This special episode offers an intimate portrait of Leonard Cohen during the final months of his life. Host David Remnick visits Cohen at his Los Angeles home, engaging in a candid, wide-ranging conversation about mortality, music, faith, creativity, and Cohen's distinctive approach to living and dying. The episode is interwoven with Cohen’s music, poetry, and anecdotes about his career and philosophy, creating a fitting tribute just after his death at 82.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Facing Mortality with Grace

(00:26–01:45)

• Remnick details Cohen's frail physical condition, emphasizing the profound graciousness and buoyant mood the songwriter displayed despite his illness.
• Cohen knew he was near the end, yet exhibited humor and self-mockery throughout their time together.
• The episode is filled with spontaneous gestures of hospitality, such as offering cheese and olives to Remnick.

  Leonard Cohen: "Would you like a few slices of cheese and olives?" (01:45)

2. Reflections on Family and Early Life

(02:25–04:44)

• Cohen recounts the impact of his father's death at age nine, marking it as a foundational event for his creative life.
• His first act as a writer: cutting a bow tie from his father's closet, writing a farewell, and burying it.

  Leonard Cohen: "It was just some attraction to a ritual response to an impossible event." (03:41)

3. Artistry Rooted in Poetry and Song

(04:44–06:57)

• Cohen's transition from aspiring poet to songwriter is explored, with early influences cited as Allen Ginsberg and Frank O’Hara rather than traditional songwriters.
• His famous songs like "Suzanne" are highlighted for their poetic precision and irony.

4. Performance Anxiety and Stage Experience

(06:57–09:41)

• Cohen describes chronic stage fright, likening himself to a "chained parrot," and discusses his reliance on alcohol and drugs before performances.

  Leonard Cohen: "I'm scared enough as it is up here, and I think something's wrong every time you begin to applaud." (07:13)

• Shares a memorable story about performing in Israel, taking LSD, and hallucinating an ex-girlfriend in the audience—a moment that led to communal catharsis and introspection about his own relevance and artistic depth:

  Leonard Cohen: "...the entire audience turned into one Jew, which is enough for anyone... Where do you get to stand up and speak for what and who?" (09:41–10:55)

5. Spirituality, Judaism, and Religious Themes

(11:25–15:47)

• Bob Dylan once said Cohen’s songs were "like prayers," which Remnick discusses as Cohen’s work leans heavily on scriptural themes.
• While Cohen resists being tagged as a religious figure, he shares deep kabbalistic ideas, especially the concept of “repairing the face of God.”

  Leonard Cohen: "The specific task of the Jew is to repair the face of God." (11:55)

• Recites lines from "Anthem," emphasizing imperfection and acceptance:

  Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in." (13:00)

6. Songwriting Process and Relentless Revision

(14:34–15:47)

• Cohen addresses his laborious creative process, producing dozens of verses for a single song and discarding many along the way:

  Leonard Cohen: "The reason my writing is so slow is that I have to finish the verse before I discard it." (14:34) "Some as many as (80 verses), but all with at least 10 or 20." (15:21)

7. Zen Monastery and the Discipline of Spiritual Practice

(15:47–17:13)

• Cohen spends years at a Zen Buddhist monastery, emphasizing the humbling, non-glamorous daily life and the importance of "getting you to stop whining."
• He notes that this training served to reframe his response to suffering.

8. Financial Ruin and a Comeback

(17:13–19:14)

• After discovering his manager embezzled all his money, Cohen, already in his 60s, is forced to embark on an extensive tour and publish new poetry.
• This period marks a transformation in his live performances—lighter, funnier, and more engaged:

  Leonard Cohen: "You start off irresistible, and then you become resistible... transparent... invisible... repulsive... then, you become cute. And that's where I am." (17:57)

9. Later Years and the Power of Mindfulness

(20:11–21:28)

• Despite severe health issues, Cohen reflects on using meditative skills to endure pain and stay mentally sharp, even embracing the limited distractions of his condition for deeper work:

  Leonard Cohen: "I’ve had to white-knuckle this thing. Fortunately, I have some training in, you could call it mind control... In a certain sense, this particular predicament is filled with many less distractions than at other periods of my life..." (20:28)

10. Companionship, Generosity, and the Evolving Voice of God

(21:28–23:18)

• Even in illness, Cohen is a generous host, worrying more for his guests than himself.
• Describes how the “voice of God” is now compassionate rather than judgmental:

  Leonard Cohen: "Sometimes it’s just like, you're losing too much weight now, man. You're dying. But you don’t have to cooperate so enthusiastically with the process... It’s very compassionate at this stage... I don’t have that voice that says, ‘you’re fucking up.’ That's a tremendous blessing." (22:07–23:10)

11. Preparing for the End: Creative Output Until the Last

(23:18–25:20)

• Remnick is struck by Cohen’s compulsion to create—writing, recording, and sorting through unfinished poems in his last days:

  Leonard Cohen: "Putting your house in order is one of the most comforting activities. The benefits of it are incalculable." (23:37)

• Shares unfinished lines and recognizes he may not finish all, but hopes for “a second wind.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On songwriting and mortality:

  "I like to tie up the strings. It’s a cliche, but it’s underestimated as an analgesic on all levels. Putting your house in order is one of the most comforting activities... If you can do it." – Leonard Cohen (23:37)

• On legacy and stage presence:

  "You start off irresistible, then you become resistible... transparent... invisible... repulsive... and then you become cute. And that's where I am." – Leonard Cohen (17:57)

• On self-doubt as an artist:

  "Where do you get to stand up and speak for what and who? And, you know, how deep is your experience? How significant is anything you have to say to anybody?" – Leonard Cohen (10:55)

• On imperfection and acceptance:

  "There is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in." – Leonard Cohen (13:00)

• On the changing voice of God:

  "Sometimes I hear it say, ignore me. Just get on with the things you have to do... It’s very compassionate at this stage... I don’t have that voice that says, 'you’re fucking up.' That’s a tremendous blessing." – Leonard Cohen (22:07)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening and Context for Interview — 00:00–01:45
• Cohen’s Origin Story / Father’s Death — 02:25–04:44
• Early Poetry and Songwriting — 04:44–06:57
• Stage Fright and Performance — 06:57–09:41
• Spirituality and the Role of Religion — 11:25–15:47
• Zen Buddhism and Life Discipline — 15:47–17:13
• Financial Loss and New Touring Life — 17:13–19:14
• Coping with Illness, Meditation, and Kindness — 20:11–21:51
• Preparing for Death, Final Creative Acts — 23:18–25:20

Concluding Reflections

By the end, Remnick paints a portrait of Cohen not as a tragic, waning figure, but as someone who continued to embrace life and creation, drawing strength from ritual, humor, and music—even as he prepared to leave. The episode stands as a testament to Cohen’s artistry, his searching soul, and his uncommonly gracious spirit.

For further reading: Remnick's print profile of Leonard Cohen is available at newyorkerradio.org.