Thyme2dream, it wasn't effortless for Cohen. He had to work at it. You might want to read Ira B. Nadel's book about his struggles. In Cohen's words, "I've never written easily: most of the time I detest the process…" He credits a woman in England who made him write 3 pages a day for him being able to finish Beautiful Losers. The woman ran a house for artists and told him he could stay if he wrote 3 pages a day. After that he tried to keep the three page minimum habit. He slipped at times but he tried.

I don't know how much drivel he wrote before stumbling over gems but I found that I had to work hard to find gems in Death of a Ladies Man. The gems were terrific but the book was an odd collection. Each piece had an opposing piece also written by Cohen. Often I didn't like either piece. When I found one that I like I don't think that I ever liked the twin piece. However, the book is still great because, when he hits it, he's top drawer. Take the version of It's Probably Spring that starts off, "So and so is sick of all the shit but doesn't feel that bad today because it's probably spring." Wonderful poem!

No, I don't think that I tried to slow dance with the tall woman. For her, I think that it was just that she was closer in height to my friend who was about a foot taller than I was. She wasn't shy. She told me she would dance with my friend. I trust that you wouldn't be so cruel if I asked you to dance.

Spaw, your writing may be closest to Cohens in subject matter and playfulness. I'm not trying to be tough on you. Examples of what I meant by drivel would be messages like the ones I posted to Help: Songs about farm folk. I wouldn't consider them creative writing.

Michael, Layton appears often in this book. I've seen Layton a few times but never Cohen. Both Layton and John Kenneth Galbraith got their undergraduate degrees at the University of Guelph in agriculture I believe. I have never been to Agriculture College but I have fond memories of a visit to the town. Drop dead gorgeous memories.