This poster announcing Leonard Cohen's January 17, 1968 presentation at the International Poetry Forum was created by pioneering pop artist Jim Dine. Poster found on auction site.
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen Songs, Puzzles Pittsburgh Poetry Patrons
Research on this poster led to me the discovery of a 1966 Poetry Forum gig by Judy Collins who played several selections from Leonard Cohen - and flopped. That story can be found at Collins Covers Cohen, Confounds Carnegie Culture Crowd
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The International Poetry Forum was founded by Dr. Samuel Hazo “to demonstrate the relevance and centrality of poetry to the public through the oral presentation of poetry.” From 1966 to 2009, when the economic collapse made funding impossible, the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sponsored more than 500 poetry recitals and related events in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Performers have included Nobel Awardees, Pulitzer and National Book Award Winners, Academy and Tony Awardees plus numerous other significant poets such as Archibald MacLeish, Richard Wilbur, Robert Lowell, Robert Penn Warren, Billy Collins, Robert Pinsky, Muriel Rukeyser, Philip Levine, Senator Eugene J. McCarthy, Adam Zagajewski, and Seamus Heaney.
She enjoyed the rare status of somebody who could get a song played on the radio in those days. So she became a magnet for writers, and she describes her relationships with many of them, from Joni Mitchell (chilly — and cue “Both Sides Now”) to Leonard Cohen (“Suzanne” and so many others). “I have always been grateful that I did not fall in love with Leonard in the way that I fell in love with his songs,” she writes. “I could have, certainly.”
As for the quote, "“I have always been grateful that I did not fall in love with Leonard ... ," which has become a standard line at recent Judy Collins performances,
Cohen’s acceptance speech last night was preceded by Judy Collins’ performance of Cohen’s “Suzanne” and K.D. Lang’s version of “Hallelujah,” both of which earned standing ovations. (The excerpts from Cohen’s portion of the program begins at 0:08 of the video)
In this video from the July 26, 2009 Govenor’s Island folk concert, Judy Collins recalls how she first met (and felt sorry for) Bob Dylan as well as how she immediately decided to cover Leonard Cohen’s early songs. At the link, she also performs an outstanding cover of “Diamonds and Rust,” the Joan Baez song which deals with the romantic relationship between Baez and Bob Dylan. Judy Collins Talks About Bob Dylan And Leonard Cohen, Covers Joan Baez
Judy Collins - Happy Birthday & Thanks Again In addition to being an incredibly talented artist, Judy Collins influenced the music of her professional peers, such as Dylan and Seeger, and provided invaluable introductions to the public for some performers who were, at that time, barely past the young whippersnapper phases of their professional lives. Randy Newman, for example, benefited from an early boost from Collins as did Joni Mitchell and a Canadian poet and novelist, already in his 30s, who was trying to make it in the music biz. Leonard Cohen has repeatedly (and appropriately) credited Collins with encouraging and supporting his nascent career as well as popularizing his songs through her performances of them. In this clip Judy Collins sings Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne.
