Book of Longing

An iconic poetry collection from American luminary Leonard Cohen, containing some of his most significant verse

Leonard Cohen wrote the poems in Book of Longing—his first book of poetry in more than twenty years after 1984's Book of Mercy—during his five-year stay at a Zen monastery on Southern California's Mount Baldy, and in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Mumbai. This dazzling collection is enhanced by the author's playful and provocative drawings, which interact in exciting, unexpected ways on the page with poetry that is timeless, meditative, and often darkly humorous.

An international sensation, Book of Longing contains all the elements that have brought Cohen's artistry with language worldwide recognition.

Internationally celebrated for his writing and his music, Leonard Cohen is one of the legendary writers, performers, and most consistently daring artists of our time. Book of Longing is his dazzling new collection of poetry -- twenty years in the making -- written on southern California's Mount Baldy and in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Mumbai. Following his highly acclaimed 1984 publication, Book of Mercy, and containing Cohen's own playful and provocative line drawings, Book of Longing brings together all the elements that have elevated Leonard Cohen's artistry to worldwide recognition.

“Book of Longing has exceptional range. It is clear yet steamy, cosmic yet private, both playful and profound.” - New York Times

"Leonard Cohen is incomparable when it comes to expressing romantic longing." - Terry Gross, Fresh Air

“Alive and contradictory. . .you should read the whole volume.” - LA Weekly