The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University presents “Leonard Cohen: Untold Stories from This Broken Hill – A Conversation with Michael Posner” on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Join in a conversation with author and journalist Michael Posner about the second volume in his biographical trilogy about the poet, singer, artist Leonard Cohen.
Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon – there has never been a figure like Cohen. He was a giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring people everywhere with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen’s work has made him a cherished artist. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect and piercing insights.
Bestselling author and biographer Posner’s Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. This second of three volumes – From This Broken Hill – follows him from the conclusion of his first international music tour in 1971 into the late 1980s, as he continued to compose poetry, record music, and search for meaning. The book explores his decade-long relationships with Suzanne Elrod, with whom he had two children, and other romantic partners, including the beginning of his long relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann and, simultaneously, a five-year relationship with a woman never previously identified.
In From This Broken Hill, Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reach beyond the Cohen of myth and reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the real man.
Join York graduate Lesley Simpson and Professor David S. Koffman, the J. Richard Shiff Chair for the Study of Canadian Jewry, in conversation with Posner about Cohen.
RSVP to the online event here.
About Michael Posner
Posner is an award-winning writer, playwright, journalist, and the author of seven books. These include the Mordecai Richler biography, The Last Honest Man, and the Anne Murray biography, All of Me, both of which were national bestsellers. He was Washington Bureau Chief for Maclean’s magazine, and later served as its national, foreign, and assistant managing editor. He was also managing editor of the Financial Times of Canada for three years. He later spent 16 years as a senior writer with The Globe and Mail.