Requiring assistance from Mr Cohen

Dear Mr Cohen,

I am heartened by the fact that you actually do read these forums, as evidenced by your response to the birthday tribute last year. I am writing to you directly for a myriad of reasons...

I would like you to know that my Uncle (who incidentally has impeccable taste in music!) bought me your Essential Collection for my 23rd birthday last year and I have listened to it so incessantly that it has worn a hole in my heart and almost killed my CD player!!

I read with great interest the UK Guardian article written about you for your 70th Birthday. Congratulations on that, by the way. It is most certainly an achievement, given the swings and roundabouts that you appear to have experienced throughout your life.

I was happy to learn that you have found some peace in your Buddhist life. It must be very difficult to live with manic depression. Some of my friends suffer from it also, and it breaks my heart, but at least you have the music, right?

I've always imagined that it must be bizarre to be a member of the "Tower of song". You are an intimate part of so many people's lives, you are an omniscient presence when they make love, cry, laugh, feel depressed, or relax in the bath after a hard day's work, and yet you know so few of them, because it is impossible.

Anyways, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Camille. I'm an Australian girl currently based in Tokyo and "stranded" in Rome. Why stranded? I hear you ask...well, my beautiful, 44 year old mother had a massive heart attack while we were holidaying here in Italy. It happened almost 2 weeks ago. Rest assured, she is making a remarkable and miraculous recovery and I'm confident that she will return to a full and active life.

This entire, traumatic and undescribably difficult event has left me irrevocably changed and will alter the course of my life. My mum was clinically dead for 3 minutes and she had an out of body experience, where a lady called Maria, dressed in robes told her to "Go back".

So many miracles have happened to us that I can't even begin to tell you. But I will tell you in more detail, if I ever have the opportunity to communicate with you personally.

My request to you is fairly simple...it was revealed to me today with perfect and divine clarity that I must write a book about my experience, as I think it will help many many people on a number of levels. I want you to be a part of this book by allowing me to either quote directly or paraphrase that so very beautiful line from your song (uh oh, title escapes me, I blame CD players!) that goes "there's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in", that line has affected me profoundly for quite some time now, and I remember reading that you are a big fan of it also.

I don't know if there would be reams of legal wrangle to get permission for this, or if it is a simple process. Another of my uncles is a copyright lawyer, so I might ask him...

The other favour I have to ask may involve moving mountains, but it is just a favour and fairly inconsequential. I was wondering if you and Mr Bob Dylan are still mates (Aussie parlance for 'friends!') If so, could you ask him something for me? Could you ask him if he could give me an autographed copy of his new autobiography? I would treasure it always and would use it to inspire me in the mammoth task I have ahead of me, that of, more or less, writing my own autobiography at the ripe old age of 23. I hear you are also writing a book at the moment. Is it very difficult?

And just so you know, this is not some lame attempt to exploit either my situation or Mr Dylan, whom I respect and admire as much as yourself.

If it is possible for either of you to send anything of use my way, my address in Tokyo is: Camille, Yamada Building, 2-31-5-402, Asagaya minami, Suginami-ku. If all goes well, I will be there from early February, 2005.

Lastly, I'd like to say that I am so homesick!! My mum has a beautiful view of an olive grove and the sunset from her hospital window, and a few days ago she almost started crying when she noticed how much the trees outside resemble Australian gumtrees. I must say, I wish I was back in my home town, Sydney, right now, as then I could go to our wonderful festival and listen to some of my favourite artists discuss your work and play your songs.
Thank you, Leo, for your time and most importantly, your music,
Yours in anticipation,
Camille xo

Hi, hows your Mum?