I’m not sure I can write this yet.
I mean, I’m noticing I’ve got tears in my eyes.
Larry Cohen and I did our last gig together last year at the Aqua Turf in Southington. It was supposed to be some kind of onstage duel between a red meat conservative and creampuff liberal, but we were terrible at it because we enjoyed each other’s company. It doesn’t work the way you think it works. If you’ve both been covering this stuff for decades, if you have senses of humor, if you have shareable war stories, then what you have in common trumps your differences by an enormous factor.
I liked Larry Cohen. I could make a list of all the things about him that were irritating, but part of the fun of Larry was that he liked being irritating. When he took up cigars, you could still smoke in the office, and Larry made a point of pacing the hallways making sure all of us got a good snootful of his stinky (but doubtless expensive) cigars. He was a bit of a poseur in the non-pejorative sense. He liked playing an exaggerated version of himself. Rush Limbaugh, who seems to have influenced Larry a bit, always claims to be an entertainer, despite all evidence to the contrary. Larry really was, by contrast, quite entertaining.
There are two kinds of people, and they are not liberals and conservatives. Far more profound is the difference between people who think they’re living in a comedy and the people who regard life as unflinchingly serious drama. Larry thought it was the former, and his amusement — his deep amusement — at the whole pratfall-spackled pageant was what I liked about him. I bet most of his friends remember, most of all, that smile. A twist of the lips and a slight squint. It was there on his face a very high percentage of the time, as if there were some over-arching joke he saw that others didn’t.
We began working together in the same building in 1976. Larry trained me in at least one job. At a personal level, he was generous and friendly. If he knew something that would help you, he’d tell you. We were – this will strike you as odd — consecutive Religion Editors of the Hartford Courant. He was really good at it. And this was back in the day when I was young and urgent and maybe less inclined to see the humor in things. Inheriting the gig from Larry, with huge doses of his worldview attached, ensured that I saw the humor in things.
Stray fact: He had a stutter, and it was one of the things he, in his younger days, was quite sensitive about. He worried that people made fun of it.
Did I ever get pissed off at Larry? Countless times. If he didn’t piss you off, you weren’t paying attention.
His health was up and down a lot, through all the years. And I’m remembering now that, as we got ready for the gig last year, he was suddenly unreachable down in Florida for a conference call. And it turned out to be some health scare he brushed off with a joke.
I wish I had known. I would have said a few words about my gratitude and, against all odds, fondness for the man. Larry, please don’t edit this thing. I did the best I could. I wasn’t expecting this when I woke up today.
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21 Responses to Larry Cohen, journalist
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I am sorry for your loss Colin. Your words above were beyond eloquent. Rest in peace Larry Cohen.
Colin, what a beautiful tribute. Such heart. Sounds like you had plenty of subject matter. For those of us who never knew Larry, thanks for the introduction. Sounds like we missed out.
As you know the obituaries are getting closer and closer to our age group (mid to late 50s). The march of 60s and 70s icons through the obits is an inevitable part of life now. At least once a month I’m feeling that numbing blur of memories and nostalgia which which I once hated and thought weakness.
To quote Roger Waters “F all that, I gotta get on with this”
WHile we’re on the subject of death, I am reminded of an interview with Leonard Cohen during which he was asked, “Are you afraid of death?”
He replied,”Not at all. It’s the preliminaries that worry me.”
I think Larry Cohen would have loved Leonard Cohen’s answer.
A truly eloquent and touching elogy, Colin. I only had the pleasure of a brief conversation with Larry at a business event some time ago. Your revealing sketch of his makeup helps illuminate the impressions of him that I gathered in those few moments. The Hartford community is lessened by his passing.
You’re really right Colin. The difference between ‘good people’ and uptight jerks is their viewpoint about wether they are ‘living in a comedy or some unflinching drama.’ Or in most cases, an unflinching melodrama. People have really ticked me off over the years (and of course vice versa) and I always laugh it off over a drink with them a week later. People living in the unflinching melodrama don’t do that. The fact is, and I’m sorry about you’re friend, we are all going to die, and we better lighten up about the small stuff.
Met him once in the early nineties when the Yankee Institute consisted of him, Professor Gunderson, and a handful of other guys.
I appreciated his criticism of the pious notion, oft put forth by the Courant, that the vitality of the region depends on the re-vitalization of the city of Hartford. There is some truth in his view that folks around here (are right to) enjoy their leafy Glastonburys, and in his view that that enjoyment is altogether independent of the existence of a healthy urban center. Even if there were no truth in his politically incorrect anti-urban sensibility, the annoyance he inflicted on urbanists was worthwhile in itself. On the other hand, he was an early advocate of school choice, than which no public policy would do more to resuscitate the city, if resuscitation is even possible at this late date. I do think he failed to fully appreciate how much government interference with his preferred free markets is responsible for urban destruction and suburban establishment.
RIP
It is a great loss. Wit — much more fragile than analysis and, of course, much more enjoyable – is irreplaceable. It is the very face and character and blood and sinew of a man so that, when it leaves the room, the proper response to its permanent parting should be silence and prayer. So then, a prayer for Larry and those he touched.
Nice tribute, Colin. We lost a good one in Cohen. He viewed life from a distinctly different perch and as he shared his view in a fast-paced, staccato monologue he was a delight to hear and behold. He had great stories (like the time he dressed up as a cigar-sm…oking, insult hurling Santa at a corporate holiday party — think Groucho) and I never heard him tell the same one twice. I used to invite him to memorable lunches when I was a member of The Canoe Club and smoked cigars. I don’t miss The Canoe Club; I do miss cigars (and still sneek an occasional one in); I will miss Cohen. Some people leave a hole you know can never be filled.
Like you said Colin….well done
Had the opportunity to interview Larry for my program a while back. He was a genuine, witty, and intelligent man. He will be missed.
Thanks for the kind tribute on the late and great Larry Cohen.
I’m glad to hear that he was so entertaining in the flesh. It took me a minute to figure out if I knew Larry Cohen as I read your piece… and then it came to me. Oh. THAT guy.
To me, his columns were all the more irritating because of that supposed humor. I do remember one that started out bemoaning the fact that he didn’t have a cute photogenic face like that of then-columnist Susan Campbell.
No doubt if I had met him I would have appreciated some of the intelligence behind the opinions that so turned me off. If Cohen’s intention was to provoke and annoy, he succeeded, in my case at least.
RIP Larry, and may you find heaven to your liking.
Patrice, I thought I was the only one. I guess, as they say, “you had to be there.”
Cynical Susan, once again making it all about her. Nice comments Patrice, sorry you know who decided to hyjack your comments. Not every subject here begs for Cynical Susan’s endless comments.
Trevor and all your other assumed names: all of us have been commenting on our reactions to Larry’s work, no? I thought you were all about independent thinking. And how DO you generate all your names?
I see you are up to your all capital letters trick again, it’s rude and as if you are shouting. You are calling me out on my name while hiding behind a pen name, interesting.
Ah but I’m consistent with that name. And how do you type an emphasis on a word? Do you not use caps? SHOUTING IN TYPE LOOKS LIKE THIS, not caps for ONE word. At least that’s how I interpret web-etiquette on that subject. So it’s rude to emphasize a word?
You can always italicize the word if you are looking to emphasize a word (ctrl key + the letter “i”).
And I can always capitalize it if I see fit. That shows more emphasis to me. Thanks for the suggestion.
You two would make such a cute COUPLE.