Leonard Cohen For Iron Doug

This post is primarily targeted to my pal “Iron” Doug Hern, who is having his 127thThis is an approximate value birthday today.

This is a recording of Leonard Cohen doing a reading/performance at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA (yes, that’s the “The Young Men’s-Young Women’s Hebrew Association”) Hotel in New York City, New York on 14 February 1966. It includes Cohen reading several prose excerpts, as well as some poems, and one song.

The introduction, where an apparently stuffy fellow (“Leon Edel” apparently) describes Cohen as representing the “newer generation of Canadian poets” sounds kind of funny now, when we’re used to seeing Lenny as a man in his seventies.

It runs for around 55 minutes. If you want to grab the files, you can just download them from here, or you can listen using the embedded magic below.

1. [01:30.29] Introduction by Leon Edel
2. [02:46.68] Catherine Tekakwitha – introduction by Leonard Cohen
3. [08:48.08] Beautiful Losers excerpt, Book Two. from: “There! Done! Dear friend, I did what was necessary!” to: “…THE FLOOD IS REAL AT LAST“
4. [04:40.09] Beautiful Losers excerpt, Book One. from: “I do not know What bravado compelled me to come up here without my transistor radio?” to: “Remove yourself from this treehouse, Pain, you tree-climbing frog, large as industry.“
5. [00:53.37] Introduction by Leonard Cohen
6. [13:47.45] Beautiful Losers excerpt, Book Two. from: “You plagued me like the moon…” to: “…Your hand’s gone limp.“
7. [00:41.56] Introduction by Leonard Cohen
8. [09:56.21] Beautiful Losers excerpt, Book One. from: “Now it is time for Edith to run, run between the old Canadian trees…” to: “…Natural Law they felt, but Collective Law they obeyed.“
9. [01:22.34] “You All in White” – from The Spice-Box of Earth (p. 17)
10. [02:07.68] “For E.J.P.” – from Flowers for Hitler (p. 81)
11. [03:08.09] “You Have the Lovers” – from The Spice-Box of Earth (p. 37)
12. [05:51.66] The Traveler (The Stranger Song)