By Idelle Winer
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.—Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”
Remember the exaltation of discovering a new musician or poet? In July 2009, my husband Brian had that experience after watching a DVD of Leonard Cohen’s Live in London concert. Brian enjoyed a variety of music genres, ranging from rock music to Broadway musicals, but did not listen to Leonard Cohen. After viewing the DVD, however, Brian became Cohen’s biggest fan—he dubbed it the “religion of Lenny.” Brian even took the DVD to the ICU when he had his feeding tube placed in August 2009, discussing the meaning behind many of Cohen’s lyrics with the hospital’s rabbi and ICU nurses. Brian was hooked, listening religiously until the end of his life.
