leonardcohenforum.com

Coincidentally, at exactly 10:26 A.M. on 10/26/04 WFMU DJ John (91.1 F.M. or www. wfmu.org) announced Dear Heather and added "Cohen keepin' it goin'. He looks like a used book dealer on the street." A noble calling, and not far from the truth as Cohen once said he sold newspapers on the street when he was younger and it was rough. John played "So We'll Go No More A-Rovin" without comment. Cohen sounded raspy but spirited, like he was happy to go no more a-rovin'.

Why is it, do you suppose, I don't think the timing was "coincidental" ?

Since Leonard has expressed a kind of envy for those who hold 'regular' jobs, I should think this looking like "a used book dealer on the street" is to be considered a high compliment, particularly since it was a used bookstore that brought him Lorca.

This DJ John, a casual fellow, didn't seem like the type to play a song at a calculated minute. Many used book dealers are also writers and poets, people who really love words, books and writing and live in piles of old books, so it's not so far-fetched to see Leonard as a people's literary person. Maybe it was the workingman's cap.

If the time and minute exactly matching the date and day was not by intent, then it was simply a matter of "Magick is as Magick does" ~ or DJ John was well-advised by someone less casual, more calculated ~ knowing that Leonard Cohen people would take note, somewhere along the line, and understand. Of course, I would never rule out the universe bringing everything into perfect alignment for such an occasion in N.Y.C.

I could e-mail DJ John and ask if he knew what he was doing or what he thought the meaning of the coincidence was. Should I?

Yes, please do, Lightning. I'd be interested to hear any response he might have. The likelihood of its occurrence ~ well, I have not a head for numbers of that astronomical proportion. For its first day of airplay, on its first day of release in the United States. Well, the lottery should be so easy with such an unintentional likelihood. [Did I say that right ?]

WFMU DJ John Allen was kind enough to reply quickly:

"well, lets see, today is the official release date of his new LP...

Released: 10/26/2004

pretty weird...ja"

Indeed!

So, do you take his reflection upon fact and serendipity as confirmation or fascination? How the universe does work.

It's beyond rational understanding, mine at least. I'm not even sure it's synchronicity. (Thingss unelated by causality happening together). Maybe somewhere in the upper realms the numbers 10 and 26 were assigned to this emission. Your guess is as good as mine.

Yes, I agree on those possibilities. John avoided clarification one way or the other on it. The "Well, let's see" seemed a clue that he knew. The "pretty weird" took it back as to being a possibility, either direction.

I wasn't sure of my word choice [but too late to look it up] when I said, "serendipity" rather than "synchronicity."

Our guesses are as good as the next.