New story: "Sincerely, L. Cohen"

[resonant]

Having spent a little time paddling around in the shallow shores of fandoms that are merely small, I have now set out into the dark and chilly waters of fandoms that don't exist at all. So I've just posted a new story based on Leonard Cohen's song "Famous Blue Raincoat."

Come on! If you either Google the lyrics or go to Youtube and watch a video of a performance (I like the live one from German television), in three and a half minutes you will be in possession of the entire canon of this fandom. Who else can promise you that?

"Sincerely, L. Cohen"
Narrator/Rival -- R - 1,900 words
On my site or on AO3.
I always tell you the truth. I can't seem to help it.

Thanks to astolat for beta, clothing analysis, and providing the title.

Comments

[storm_petrel]

Man, that was beautiful. This is the story I didn't know I wanted to read.

[resonant]

Excellent! Thanks so much.

[fox]

Welcome to the whole Yuletide concept! :-)

[resonant]

Yeah, astolat said the same thing!

[darklock]

Thank-you for introducing me to a new song, a new fandom, and an achingly deep and beautiful story. I'd forgotten the way your writing tugs at my heart. :-)

[resonant]

Oh, good -- always happy to bring more people into the Cohen fold!

[jetsilver]

Damn, that was gorgeous. I always want to know the story behind that song. Unfortunately I came to the song via HP, and a fic titled after it that I have since lost, and as a result Draco will always be The Wearer of the Raincoat in my head. Troublesome. He looks a bit silly with a rose in his teeth, and yet.

There is just oceans of story in "the night that you planned to go clear". And you did beautiful things with this. Love it.

[resonant]

Huh -- hard to imagine Draco in that role, but who knows. Most people would look silly with a rose in their teeth. Those who do not fall into that group know it, I'm afraid.

Glad you liked it!

[ecaterin]

Gorgeous!

Although, I think at this point you've moved beyond being able to call it fanfic - this is INSPIRATION. You know, that thing that Real Writers (TM) do when they're casting about for material. They get inspired by stuff they hear. Like that.

:D You're just so consistently awesome, Res, everything I've ever read of yours just takes my breath away.

[resonant]

Aww. Thanks so much! That makes me happy.

[azurelunatic]

I have not yet gone to read it. I am still emitting a high-pitched noise. The dogs upstairs may be becoming alarmed.

[nel_ani]

That was just gorgeous. Thank you.

[resonant]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[fullygoldy]

I've said it before, and I bet I'll say it many, many times more:

I will read *anything* you write. It is always worth my time. That was amazing. And now I have to go put a CD on my wishlist.

[resonant]

I bought "The Best of Leonard Cohen" on vinyl in a used record store in 1981, and have been carrying this song around in my head ever since. Also the bit in the liner notes when, talking about the cover photo, he says, "I rarely ever look that good. Or that bad, depending on your politics."

I'm so glad you liked the story, and I hope you enjoy the music!

[deifire]

This is lovely. I've been a Leonard Cohen fan for years, and never knew I wanted fic for this song until just now.

[resonant]

Me too! If it weren't for last year's Yuletide celebration of "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard," it would never have occurred to me that you could write fic for a song.

[paceus]

Wow! That's amazing. I really like the description of what Rival means to the Narrator, and how it's changed. The story is so effective and well written, I'm in awe.

[resonant]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[cesperanza]

Astolat said this was awesome and she was so right.

[resonant]

[hugs!]

[somniesperus]

Holy shit, this is just gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing it.

[resonant]

Oh, I'm so glad you liked it!

[luthien]

I love this. I love the way you use language beautifully, but in a way that serves the story and not just to draw attention to itself for the sake of being beautiful language. I love the way your narrator betrays so much all the way through without every acknowledging what's always really been going on. I've always felt that first person has to be about the narrative voice before anything else, and this story is the best example of that that I've read in a long time.

I got to the end of the story and said to <lj user="somniesperus> (thanks to her for pointing me here, since I'm really bad at reading my flist these days) that it felt like waking up. I hope that makes sense. *g* Great story. Really great story.

[resonant]

This made me so happy! Thanks so much -- it made me feel good.

[constance]

I almost skipped this because I don't know Leonard Cohen very well and wouldn't have a decent frame of reference, but I should have known better, because (1) you never do disappoint, or write something that I can't relate to; and (2) it turns out that however little I know Leonard Cohen, I know this guy. I mean, I think we all do. He's so terribly, frighteningly hard to resist.

This is gorgeous. I'm so glad I jumped out of my box and gave it a shot. <3

[resonant]

Oh, thank you! He is hard to resist, isn't he? -- and yet so hard to embrace, too, without being flattened.

[dolores_crane]

oh dear God. I MUST NOT read this today (as I must write a stupid grant application or my life will become unlivable) but the universe just got about a million times cooler. FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT FIC BY RESONANT oh dear God. (I wrote a B7 fic called 'Famous Blue Raincoat' one time. And I was just saying to my gf yesterday that I want to write fic based off all the female characters in Dylan songs getting together.)

(Hello, by the way.)

[resonant]

Hi to you too! Hope it lives up to the hype!

[linabean]

I'm so glad this now exists! I love this song. (I remember way back in Smallville days, I had idle thoughts about how the song could possibly apply to Lionel Luthor and his old friend Morgan.)

But the real treat is how this inhabits the universe of the song, and the characters are clearly themselves. Well done with the tricky job of keeping the narrator's voice while switching to this form from a letter in lyrics.

[resonant]

Leonard Cohen is a multifandom inspiration, isn't he? Glad you liked it!

[ruric]

Leonard has always been my go to guy for inspiration when trying to write (not to mention I'd adored his music from afar and finally got to see him perform live after 24 years of waiting a couple of years back)!

So yeah to find that there's awesome fic for Famous Blue Raincoat? I think all my christmases just came at once.

This is gorgeous and fits so well with the song. I love how you've brought the lyrics into the fic and how both your Narrator/Rival voices fit so perectly to the "verse". The way you cut through the past to the present to bring out the truth of the Narrator/Rival relationship is just beautiful.

What you;ve written? Yeah that's what's in my head now whenever I hear this song.

[resonant]

Oh, I'm so glad! Each of his songs seems like a door that opens out into a whole world.

[cesare]

I've loved this song for so long-- introduced to it by the beautiful Tori Amos cover on Tower of Song. Cohen is such an amazing songwriter, telling a whole story in such a short short space; I love the way you unfolded the lyrics, and how faithful this story is to the bitter, bitter, bittersweet tone of the song.

[resonant]

I'm so glad you liked it! You're right about the tone of the song; ordinary happy endings just don't cut it here.

[littledust]

I have always wanted to hear more of this song's story. This is a lovely addition.

[resonant]

I'm so glad you liked it! I adore the song so much.

Mad Past-My-Bedtime Rambling Review + Crazy Stalker Commentfic

[cadenzamuse]

*flails MADLY*

So I have wanted fic for this song for years. (I think I have also read your fic for years, and am one of those horrible people who never comments. So.)

And now it is 1:30 AM and I have had a Cold of Death for a week, and am probably not going to get to go to Dragon*Con because of it, and I am tired and achy and have a cat dozing next to me and I am missing my partner like a physical ache (fuck this living 30 miles apart thing, seriously) and...God. You wrote fic for "Famous Blue Raincoat."

And your tone is perfect, it fits the Narrator so well, and I love your interpretation of the Thin Gypsy Thief, and of how things played out for them, and the fact that the Narrator chooses to go with him, and they still end up parted again, and...gah. SO MUCH LOVE.

And now I want to write comment-fic of my head-canon for this song. Is that rude? Oh well.

***

It's almost evening on a rainy Friday in September when Jane comes in the door, the light from the hallway making the droplets in her hair shine like a halo. She has a rose clutched in her right hand, along with her purse and the mail.

I know already, before Jane explains. "He's back." He. We both know she's talking about you.

Jane drops her purse and keys on the table by the door. "I invited him for dinner."

Jane always knew what we needed better than we did.

Dinner is awkward. I can't stop staring at you. You and Jane make small-talk, and Jane's laugh is free. I had forgotten how happy you could make her. We are happy enough together, in our little life, in our little apartment, but there is something about you that makes her expand.

You look older, and more worn, and you wear the same sort of shabby clothes that you did when we were twenty-five. You still shove your hands into your trouser pockets when you're thinking, and when you're about to tell an especially good joke.

I shake your hand before you leave, and tell you it was good of you to come. You are shining, shining in the doorway, and I am not asking any questions. Jane kisses you on the cheek and says you should come again next week.

I go for a walk after you leave and manage not to think about you, almost. Jane doesn't mind. These years together, we have grown to understand each other. When I slip into bed, I stare at her sleeping form and am grateful.

It shouldn't surprise me that you do come to dinner again, but it does. You stand there in a stupid overcoat, the sleeves too short, with wine and bread and two roses. One is deep red, and the other a red-tipped gold. I don't know which one you mean for me.

Jane laughs and begs you to do your famous tango dancer impression. When you stick out your arms, both roses clutched in your teeth, your shirtsleeves gleam white from under your ridiculous coat. I turn away.

You come every week, every Friday, bringing roses that wither slowly, their perfume lingering. I cannot stop thinking about you. You join me sometimes on my walks. You ask how my work is going, or tell me a story from your own sprawling, overambitious novel. You were always the braver of us. Although Jane, I think, is the bravest of all. When she finds me sitting on the edge of our bed, fingering the lock of your hair, she kisses me and holds my hands gently, cupping your hair between us. She says, "I love you. He will stay this time. It will be well."

I believe her.

Re: Mad Past-My-Bedtime Rambling Review + Crazy Stalker Commentfic

[cadenzamuse]

(And gnaaaaaah, in my head, the Gypsy Thief comes over unexpectedly one Thursday afternoon, and kisses Jane full on the lips, and then turns and kisses the Narrator, and they live precariously, somewhat angstily, but happily and polyamorously ever after. But the fic wanted to finish before that, because this was as close to a happy ending as Famous Blue Raincoat will apparently let have written about itself.)

Anyway. Sorry for the weird, scary, lurker comments. But thank you, thank you, thank you.

Re: Mad Past-My-Bedtime Rambling Review + Crazy Stalker Commentfic

[resonant]

How did I not reply to this? I sat and stared into space and thought about this happy life for the longest time when you sent it! I'm so sorry I'm so pathetic about answering comments!

But I love to think about these roses, and those kisses, and the way they might get a happy ending together after all.

Fic never dies

[jesse_the_k]

I've been an L.C. fan way too long, and I was heartbroken when he died (at a ripe age, and he'd prepared us well). Finding this creative fic helps me remember that his music will ring down the years.

Re: Fic never dies

[resonant]

Wasn't it heartbreaking? -- even though he seemed as well prepared as a person can be, and nobody can say he frittered his time away on things that will be forgotten.