The demons of Leonard Cohen

Mus, Francis (author.). Mus, Francis Translation of: Demonen van Leonard Cohen. (Added Author). Trehearne, Brian, 1957- (writer of foreword.). Vroomen, Laura, (translator.). Canadian Electronic Library (Firm), (distributor.). Coherent Digital (Firm) (Added Author).

Summary: "Who speaks in Leonard Cohen's oeuvre? By identifying the many guises in which Cohen presents himself to his audience, Francis Mus seeks to formulate an answer to this question. The countless roles assumed by Cohen's persona are not some innocent game, but strategies in response to the sometimes conflicting demands of a 'life in art': they serve as masks that represent the performer's face and state of mind in a heightened yet detached way. In and around the artistic work, they are embodied in different guises or 'demons': image (the poser), artistry (the writer and singer), alienation (the stranger and the confidant), religion (the worshipper, prophet, or priest), and power (the powerful or powerless). Ultimately, Cohen's artistic practice can be read as an attempt at forging interpersonal contact. The wide international circulation of Cohen's work has resulted in a partial severing with the context of its creation. Much of it has filtered through the public image forged by the artist and his critics in concerts, interviews and reflective texts. Consequently, this monograph is less a biography than a reception study, supplemented with extensive archival research, unpublished documents, and interviews with colleagues and privileged witnesses. At the same time, this book sheds new light on the dynamic of a comprehensive oeuvre spanning a period of sixty years."--

Record details

ISBN: 9780776631202
ISBN: 9780776629926
ISBN: 0776631209
ISBN: 0776629921
ISBN: 9780776631219
Physical Description: 1 electronic text (xxii, 247 pages) : illustrations (some colour).
remote
Computer data.
Publisher: Ottawa, Ontario : Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa = University of Ottawa Press, [2020]
Distributor: Ottawa, Ontario : Canadian Electronic Library, 2020.

Content descriptions

General Note:	CatMonthString:january.23 Issued as part of the desLibris books collection. Multi-User. Translation of: De demonen van Leonard Cohen. Translation by Laura Vroomen.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages [237]-247).
Formatted Contents Note:	Foreword / by Brian Trehearne -- Introduction. Leonard Cohen, who are you? -- Image : on the self-representation in the music -- Artistry : on the relationship between maker, work, and audience -- Alienation : from local embeddedness and global exile to universal aspirations and back again -- Intermezzo 1. "another vocabulary" : a writer in search of his language (1): case study of an unpublished short story -- Intermezzo 2. "don't follow the story, follow the emotion" : a writer in search of his language (2): the international reception of beautiful losers -- Religion : how the priest, prophet, and believer serve artistic expression -- Power : artistic personas caught between vulnerability and authority -- Intermezzo 3. "everyone must fall" : freedom as consciousness : about longing and loss -- Encounter : "the only song I ever had."
Restrictions on Access Note:	Access restricted to authorized users and institutions.
Type of Computer File or Data Note:	Text (HTML), electronic book.
Additional Physical Form available Note:	Also available in print version.
System Details Note:	Mode of access: Internet.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Note:	Access requires VIU IP addresses and is restricted to VIU students, faculty and staff. Access restricted by subscription.
Issuing Body Note:	Made available online by Canada Commons.