Artist / en A legend dies: U of T's Fisher Library is home to nearly 100 boxes of Leonard Cohen's letters, manuscripts /news/legend-dies-u-t-s-fisher-library-home-boxes-leonard-cohen-s-papers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">A legend dies: U of T's Fisher Library is home to nearly 100 boxes of Leonard Cohen's letters, manuscripts</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2016-11-11-cohen-lead2.jpg?h=aac2632b&amp;itok=t1nlpfsc 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2016-11-11-cohen-lead2.jpg?h=aac2632b&amp;itok=USpu87iD 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2016-11-11-cohen-lead2.jpg?h=aac2632b&amp;itok=vbbcJW15 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2016-11-11-cohen-lead2.jpg?h=aac2632b&amp;itok=t1nlpfsc" alt="Photo of Leonard Cohen "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-11-11T11:26:19-05:00" title="Friday, November 11, 2016 - 11:26" class="datetime">Fri, 11/11/2016 - 11:26</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Portrait of a younger Leonard Cohen in Germany (photo by Ullstein Bild via Getty)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/veronica-zaretski" hreflang="en">Veronica Zaretski</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Veronica Zaretski</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fisher-library" hreflang="en">Fisher Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">¸ŁŔűĽ§×ÔÎżLibraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leonard-cohen" hreflang="en">Leonard Cohen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/archives" hreflang="en">Archives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/poetry" hreflang="en">Poetry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/manuscripts" hreflang="en">Manuscripts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artist" hreflang="en">Artist</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The boxes include correspondence, drafts of literary works and biographic material</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Legendary singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen has died at the age of 82.</p> <p>With songs like <em>Hallelujah</em> and <em>So Long, Marianne</em>, he charmed the world for decades&nbsp;with his unique blend of poetry and lyrics on love, darkness, faith and politics. His career in the arts also spanned work as a poet and novelist.&nbsp;</p> <p>Today, U of T's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is the repository for the influential Canadian artist's papers. The singer donated boxes of his correspondence and papers to the library in 2003, almost 100 boxes in total.</p> <p>“U of T’s been very kind to me over the years – and when I really needed it. They bought manuscripts when I was about 25 years old – and they did that twice – so I feel very grateful to the university and to the library,” said Cohen, then 71, in an interview to <em>¸ŁŔűĽ§×ÔÎżMagazine</em>.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2495 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2016-11-11-Cohen-photograph_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Fisher Rare Books librarian Jennifer Toews holds up some of the archived material in the Leonard Cohen collection (photo by Romi Levine)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The boxes trace his life from the beginning as a struggling writer to his iconic status as a singer-songwriter. There's drafts of his poetry and other writing, correspondence, fan mail, gifts and tributes from fans, photographs and personal material.</p> <p>When Cohen was asked if there is anyone who he particularly envisioned looking through the materials, he told <em>¸ŁŔűĽ§×ÔÎżMagazine</em>, “Oh, any kind person. Anyone with the capacity to forgive."&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the years, Cohen corresponded&nbsp;regularly with the likes of poets Allen Ginsberg and Irving Layton.</p> <p>“It was just amazing to work with Cohen,” says<strong> Jennifer Toews</strong>, modern manuscripts and reference librarian at Fisher. “It’s the way he was – that generosity, sharing himself &nbsp;– it was part of his music and his literary legacy as well. I’m going to miss him a lot.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2496 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2016-11-11-Cohen%20-%20fan%20mail_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy">&nbsp;<br> <em>Correspondence that Leonard Cohen donated to Fisher Rare Books Library (photo by Romi Levine)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>Fisher's relationship with Cohen began in the early part of his career when the library purchased his manuscripts in the 1960s, including drafts of <em>Beautiful Losers</em> and <em>Let Us Compare</em>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Much of the material is<a href="http://go.utlib.ca/cat/573004"> available online</a> for the public. Other content will remain sealed until Cohen's estate gives permission for it to be opened.</p> <p>“Leonard Cohen has a long relationship with the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library beginning when he was 25 years old,”&nbsp;says <strong>Loryl MacDonald</strong>, interim associate chief librarian for special collections and director at Fisher. “It is really due to the vision and perseverance of the former director of rare books, <strong>Richard Landon</strong>, that Leonard Cohen gave his archives to the University of Toronto Libraries. We are grateful for Leonard and Richard’s special connection which led to our stewardship of this most remarkable archival collection.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2497 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Cohen%20-%20notebook%202_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Notebooks from Leonard Cohen's archives at Fisher Rare Books Library (photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p>Cohen was born in 1934 in Montreal. He attended McGill University, where at the age of 17 he formed a country-western trio called the Buckskin Boys.</p> <p>He also began writing poetry and was part of the local literary scene. His books of poetry have sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide. In 1965, he moved to the U.S. to pursue a career in music.</p> <h3><a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/great-gifts/rare-books-leonard-cohen-manuscripts/">Read Cohen's interview with <em>¸ŁŔűĽ§×ÔÎżMagazine</em>&nbsp;</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2499 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Cohen%20-%20boxes_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Boxes of material in the archived Leonard Cohen collection (photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 11 Nov 2016 16:26:19 +0000 ullahnor 102404 at