Montreal, 24 December 1960

Typed letter signed (“Leonard”) to Marianne Ihlen ("Darling Mu"), Montreal, 24 December 1960.

Two pages, 280 x 217mm (a little minor soiling and one or two short closed tears at margins).

A lengthy, peaceful letter, written to “Darling Mu” from snowy Montreal, reflecting on his feelings for her. “Right now I’m thinking of a certain night when we walked along the Rue des Ecoles. You put your face against my arm, held me tight, and closed your eyes, and let me see for the both of us. I have never felt so moved by an act of trust.” The moment he describes calls to mind a line that would appear later in "So Long, Marianne"—"You held on to me like I was a crucifix / As we went kneeling through the dark."

He discusses work possibilities at length, particularly writing for television with the enfant terrible of Canadian letters, Irving Layton, who had been a mentor to Cohen since his days as a McGill student. “We’re both overjoyed with the progress we’re making. He comes down here every day and we write like mad. Our collaboration is perfect. We want to turn the medium into a real art form." He predicts that they will "all go to Spain or Greece and set up a little writing factory. We both have excellent reasons for making the venture a success. He lost his teaching job because of his revolutionary ideas and I need money to cross the ocean." He abruptly adds, "I miss you so much! I was telling him all about you today during lunch."

He suggests Marianne might join him on tour when his poems are published early the next year. The Spice-Box of Earth was Cohen's second book of poetry and it would appear in May 1961 to great critical acclaim, elevating him to celebrity status in Canada. He closes, “Darling, I’m very happy these days, working hard, you deep in my heart. Be happy with me. Together we will take great joy and fire out of every day. Mahalia Jackson is on the record player. I’m right there with her, flying with you in that glory, pulling away the shrouds from the sun, making music out of everything.”

By descent from Marianne Ihlen.