by David Sheff
First published 2007
David Sheff enters the Dakota apartment where John Lennon and Yoko Ono have retreated from public life. For over twenty hours, his tape recorder captures conversations that move from kitchen to studio, spanning Lennon's childhood memories to his Beatles years. The musician has spent five years away from interviews and performances, but now at forty he speaks with renewed energy about his feelings, contradictions, and future projects. He discusses his songs and his relationships with Paul, George, and Ringo while Yoko shares their domestic happiness. Lennon reveals a man who has found contentment in his marriage and fatherhood, yet hints at the tragedy approaching. These sessions, conducted just weeks before his murder, preserve his voice discussing everything from his artistic process to his hopes for the world. The conversations reveal someone eager to live, planning new music, and reflecting on a life that has brought him unexpected joy after years of turmoil.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, music, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: interview, reflection
Setting: Dakota
Period: 1980
Paperback · Símbol editors