Suzanne, a Canadian artist inspired Cohen’s song Suzanne. They had a platonic relationship and would meet regularly.

How did she feel about the hit song of Cohen, Suzanne, knowing that she would be meeting with him many times, they would eat oranges that would come all the way from China, and they would discuss Death and poetry… ?

She never received the fame while Cohen’s Suzanne song made it big. And many think that Cohen’s wife with the same name Suzanne was the one who gave title to the song.

– Artists receive their inspiration from people and places, she says.

Leonard Cohen’s song Suzanne was written inspired by a real Suzanne Verdal. In a BBC portrait of Suzanne Verdal McCallister, 1998, she expresses a generous attitude towards the artist’s workfield – she knows how artists work. We explore and write from what we experience in the world. And even though Suzanne mentions some bittersweet last moments, she feels Mr. Cohen always treated her well. Later the contact fell apart, but she doesn’t dwell on it … she is a true artist, a muse. An now even immortalized.

Read the BBC portrait

View the lyrics

Read Wiki about Cohen’s song Suzanne

About the esoteric depth in their meetings

Danish:

Cohens muse, Suzanne

Kunstnere som Cohen lever af inspiration fra virkelige mennesker som Suzanne. Hvordan har den virkelige Suzanne Verdal McCallister det med, at hun og Cohen ofte mødtes, drak te og spiste appelsiner fra Kina, som hun måske også havde skrællet?

Forholdet var efter sigende platonisk, de mødtes og drøftede bl.a. døden, og det handler sangen om. Mange tror, at det var Cohens egen kone med samme navn, der inspirerede til sangen.

Suzanne ved, det er kunstnernes måde at arbejde på.

Ud over nogle bittersøde minder i slutningen af deres møder, som hun ikke mener er værd at nævne, ja, så har han altid behandlet hende godt, fortæller hun i et interview med BBC fra 1998. På det tidspunkt er kontakten til den berømte Cohen løbet ud.