{"id":12286,"date":"2019-06-03T19:33:59","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T17:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.leonardcohen.de\/?p=12286"},"modified":"2019-06-03T22:05:42","modified_gmt":"2019-06-03T20:05:42","slug":"kw-22-2019-write-me-and-tell-me-your-heart-leonard-cohens-letters-to-marianne-ihlen-diese-woche-bis-naechste-woche-5-13-juni-christies-brings-to-au","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/?p=12286","title":{"rendered":"KW-22-2019: LIEBESBRIEFVERSTEIGERUNG der Leonard Cohen-Briefe an seine Muse #Marianne_Ihlen: \u2018Write me and tell me your heart\u2019 \u2014 Leonard Cohen\u2019s letters to Marianne Ihlen. Diese Woche bis n\u00e4chste Woche 5.- 13. Juni, Christie\u2019s brings to auction more than 50 letters from Leonard Cohen to his muse and lover, together with seven of Marianne Ihlen\u2019s own letters."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2018Write me and tell me your heart\u2019 \u2014 Leonard Cohen\u2019s letters to Marianne Ihlen<\/h1>\n
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This June Christie\u2019s brings to auction more than 50 letters from Leonard Cohen to his muse and lover, together with seven of Marianne Ihlen\u2019s own letters. Together they offer fascinating glimpses of the young poet\u2019s yearnings and artistic struggles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Two parallel stories unfold across this remarkable correspondence between Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen, his muse and lover. The first is that of the romantic relationship that inspired songs such as So Long<\/em>, Marianne\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>and Hey<\/em>, That\u2019s No Way to Say Goodbye<\/em>, with the letters revealing a deep tenderness that never fades, even long after they\u2019ve parted. They underscore Marianne\u2019s role during pivotal years as a bedrock for Leonard, in both his life and work.<\/p>\n

The second story is that of Leonard Cohen the artist. The letters begin in 1960 when he is a 26-year-old struggling writer with a single book of poetry under his belt, and go on to cover the writing, revision, and publication of nearly everything that follows, including his transition in the mid-1960s from poet and novelist to singer-songwriter. They span to 1979, save for one later postcard, which was written in the 2000s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cohen first arrived in the Greek island of Hydra in April 1960 and quickly fell for the bohemian lifestyle if offered. He purchased a house on the island that September with the proceeds of a small inheritance.<\/p>\n

Marianne was married to Norwegian novelist Axel Jensen at this time, and they had a baby together. But the marriage was troubled and Marianne and Leonard were quickly drawn to each other. During their years together she would provide him with a nourishing, stable existence.<\/p>\n

Their relationship, however, was often long-distance and occasionally turbulent, and it eventually drew to a close as Cohen\u2019s career as a musician began. Even so, notes and letters were exchanged for many years after they parted, highlighting what Cohen refers to in one letter as their \u2018enduring love\u2019. And as he sings in Hey, That\u2019s No Way to Say Goodbye<\/em>, \u2018You know my love goes with you as your love stays with me \/ It\u2019s just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea.\u2019<\/p>\n

These important letters shine a light on Leonard Cohen\u2019s love, his life and work \u2014 through his own poetic words. They contain numerous lines and passages that sound like early drafts of songs, with each one giving new context, new understanding, to his oeuvre.<\/p>\n

Find out more about the story of <\/strong>Leonard Cohen and his greatest muse<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Postmarked from all over the world, they take us from Hydra and Cuba to the Chelsea Hotel and Nashville, from Scientology to Zen Buddhism, from young poet to world-famous artist.<\/p>\n

Cohen\u2019s first separation from Marianne<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This early letter was written from the beaches of Tel Aviv, marking Cohen\u2019s first separation from Marianne after meeting her earlier in the year. It is more formal and self-conscious than letters that follow, and he describes feeling jarred by city life after so much time on their idyllic Greek island.<\/p>\n

The letter closes with a line that reads like song lyrics: \u2018It\u2019s hard to write you. The surf is too loud. The beach is too crowded, and you\u2019re too much in my heart to put anything down.\u2019<\/p>\n

The collection includes two photographs of Leonard bearing his handwritten notes to Marianne on the reverse. This one, likely dating to the mid-1960s, was written while Cohen was en route to Rome. The other tells her he is coming to Hydra soon and asks, \u2018Will you be there?\u2019<\/div>\n
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The difficulties of a long-distance romance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Writing from 3702 Mountain Street, in Montreal, this letter from early 1961 reveals the strains of being apart. During this period, Cohen was dividing his time between Greece and Canada, essentially returning to Montreal periodically in order to earn money to fund his life in Hydra.<\/p>\n

A recurring theme throughout the letters is the conflict he feels between love and independence; despite his love for Marianne he is compelled to be on his own, but once on his own, he longs for her. \u2018Forgive my long silence. I have not even spoken to myself,\u2019 he writes, before closing \u2018Write me and tell me your heart.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I want you to come to New York very soon\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Leonard Cohen (1934-2016),\u00a0\u2018I need you, my little darling\u2019<\/em>, New York, 11 February 1963<\/a>. One page, 280 x 215mm. Estimate: $3,000-5,000. Offered in Write Me and Tell Me Your Heart: Leonard Cohen\u2019s Letters to Marianne<\/a>, Online Only, 5-13 June 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Optimistic about career opportunities and grateful for her support of his novel, The Favourite Game<\/em>, which would be published later that year, Cohen writes to ask Marianne to join him in New York. \u2018I want you to come to New York very soon and I\u2019m working to arrange it. There\u2019s a fair chance that a U.S. magazine will use a section of my book before publication and that will mean some money.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sign up today<\/center>Christie\u2019s Online Magazine delivers best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week, look for: https:\/\/www.christies.com\/features\/Leonard-Cohen-letters-to-Marianne-Ihlen-9838-1.aspx<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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He closes: \u2018I could never have rewritten my book without you, and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll write another one without you. So if I don\u2019t make a fortune within the next little while, let\u2019s get back to Hydra and be poor together.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cohen\u2019s reinvention as a singer-songwriter<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Leonard Cohen\u2019s first major performance, New York, 23 February 1967<\/a>. Four pages, 215 x 104mm, Penn Terminal Hotel letterhead; with transmittal envelope. Estimate: $8,000-12,000. Offered in Write Me and Tell Me Your Heart: Leonard Cohen\u2019s Letters to Marianne<\/a>, Online Only, 5-13 June 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018I sang in New York for the first time last night,\u2019 Cohen reveals in this letter from February 1967. After years of struggling as a poet and novelist, in the mid-1960s he decided to pursue a music career. He was championed by Judy Collins, who recorded Suzanne<\/em>\u00a0 with great success, and his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen<\/em>, was released in December 1967. This letter is on Penn Hotel letterhead, and it is during a stay there that he would write Hey, That\u2019s No Way to Say Goodbye<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Bleeker Street and Nico<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), \u2018Bleeker Street and Nico\u2019<\/em>, New York, 9 April 1967<\/a>. One page, 280 x 215mm; with transmittal envelope addressed to \u201cMrs Marianne Ihlen Cohen\u201d. Estimate: $6,000-9,000. Offered in Write Me and Tell Me Your Heart: Leonard Cohen\u2019s Letters to Marianne<\/a>, Online Only, 5-13 June 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018I put steel strings on my guitar, that\u2019s like changing from underwear to armour, that\u2019s New York City.\u2019 In the course of this fabulous letter written from Bleeker Street, Cohen captures the texture of city life, the current music scene, and his \u2018enduring\u2019 love for Marianne. He would sign with Columbia Records only a few weeks later, on 26 April, earning an advance of $2,000.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ring the bells that still can ring\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), ‚There is a crack, a crack in everything\u2019<\/em>, from their Hydra home<\/a>. 240 x 190mm, with crack measuring 115mm; with leather strap. Estimate: $8,000-12,000. Offered in Write Me and Tell Me Your Heart: Leonard Cohen\u2019s Letters to Marianne<\/a>, Online Only, 5-13 June 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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In his song Anthem<\/em>, Cohen famously writes \u2018Ring the bells that still can ring \/ Forget your perfect offering \/ There is a crack, a crack in everything \/ That\u2019s how the light gets in.\u2019 This bell originally decorated a staircase in Marianne\u2019s home in Hydra before accompanying her when she went to live with Cohen. It sat in various places, including on his desk for many years, and most likely provided inspiration for one of his great lyrics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lot 1<\/div>\n
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From Tel Aviv with love<\/div>\n
Tel Aviv, 13 September 1960<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Estimate: USD 6,000 – USD 9,000<\/p>\n

(EUR 4,803 – EUR 7,204.50)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Lot will start on \u00a005-Jun-2019 10:00 AM (EST)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Autograph letter signed (\u201cCohen\u201d) to Marianne Ihlen („My dear Marianne“), Tel Aviv, 13 September 1960.<\/p>\n

Two pages, 270 x 202mm, pencil on lined paper; with transmittal envelope (torn).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to write you. The surf is too loud. The beach is too crowded, and you\u2019re too much in my heart to put anything down.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

An important early letter written from the beaches of Tel Aviv, marking his first separation from Marianne after meeting her earlier in the year. Fleeing rainy London, Cohen first arrived in Hydra in April 1960. Enamored with simple island life and the bohemian community, he would purchase a house there that September with the proceeds of a small inheritance. Marianne was married to Norwegian novelist Axel Jensen at this time and they had a baby together. But the marriage was troubled and Marianne and Leonard soon came together, though he would later recall that initially they \u201cdidn\u2019t think there would be a love story. We thought we would live together\u201d (qtd in Nadel, Various Positions<\/i>, <\/i>p. 83).<\/p>\n

This letter is more formal and self-conscious than those that follow. Feeling jarred by the city and longing for Hydra, Cohen opens: \u201cMy dear Marianne, I just want to write you.\u201d He quotes a Chinese poet whose name he had forgotten: \u201c\u2019What is the use of speaking? \/ There is no end \/ to the things of the heart.\u201d He writes of feeling lost in Israel and contemplates spending more time learning Hebrew. On his work he reports: \u201cThe novel is finished, but I haven\u2019t gathered strength for the 3rd draft. I miss the whiteness of Hydra and the bare rooms of my house.\u201d As he will do often in the letters that follow, he mentions that he has sent money. He closes: \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got no more gold hair and I\u2019m back to a familiar loneliness which is not too unpleasant, except when I compare it with certain intimacies I\u2019ve known.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Please note this lot is the property of a private individual.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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SOURCE:<\/div>\n
https:\/\/www.christies.com\/features\/Leonard-Cohen-letters-to-Marianne-Ihlen-9838-1.aspx<\/div>\n
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\u2018Write me and tell me your heart\u2019 \u2014 Leonard Cohen\u2019s letters to Marianne Ihlen This June Christie\u2019s brings to auction more than 50 letters from Leonard Cohen to his muse and lover, together with seven of Marianne Ihlen\u2019s own letters. Together they offer fascinating glimpses of the young poet\u2019s yearnings and artistic struggles Two parallel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12286"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12292,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12286\/revisions\/12292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leonardcohen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}