"An unprecedented glimpse into the formation of he legendary talent of Leonard Cohen.
Before the celebrated late-career world tours, before the Grammy awards, before the chart-topping albums, before 'Hallelujah' and 'So Long, Marianne' and 'Famous Blue Raincoat', the young Leonard Cohen wrote poetry and fiction and yearned for literary stardom. In 'A Ballet of Lepers', readers will discover that the magic that animated Cohen's unforgettable body of work was present from the very beginning." -- Back cover.