Collection of letters provides glimpse into Lennon’s life
This book of John Lennon’s letters, with running clarifying biographical narrative by the editor, Hunter Davies, shows what a multi-faceted person John Lennon was.
I had no idea he’d written two books of poetry (still in print); his reaction “to most things” was to write them down; he’d had an earlier wife and with her, an earlier son; he wrote stories; and he was brought up by his Aunt Mimi.
Interestingly enough, there is very little Beatles material – except for nasty letters between John and Paul as they were breaking up (in 1971 – they became known in 1963 – how many of us knew their performing life was that short?).
His letters were mostly to family (including a father who came back into his life quite late), friends and fans; some to-do lists and letters and postcards concerning domestic affairs were also found.
John wrote prodigiously – about so many things. He obviously enjoyed writing; most of the letters and postcards have drawings on them – and colorful language. The reason, of course, the editor didn’t find more was so many were sold.
John’s personality comes across as outgoing, generous and loyal to friends and family, the language full of personality and very individual language. Every now and then he would pick up a fan letter and decide to answer it.
“I was astounded,” said one fan. Most every letter to stranger and friend alike is signed “love.”
He could be moody and was often depressed. He could spend a full day lying on a couch or not speaking.
The editor tells us: “I would go to visit him, turning up at an agreed time, only to discover he had decided it was a day for not talking. So we’d swim in his pool, not talking, sit in his den, not talking, have a meal made by Cyn (John’s first wife), not talking, then I would go home.”
John illustrated most of his letters with drawings. cartoon characters and odd figures. Some of them are lengthy pieces on religion – not illustrated.
He and Yoko did everything they could to promote peace, including at one point sending acorns to world leaders asking them to plant them for world peace.
When he and Yoko lived in the United States, he was always afraid of being deported for the radical friendships he formed and public issues in which he participated during the late 1960s, though he never ceased working for projects of that kind.
In fact, he was ordered deported publicly – twice. But he manaaged to prevail – twice – and was allowed to stay. Gloria Swanson spoke for him at one of his hearings.
In May 1979 he refused to write or receive a communication from anyone without both his and Yoko’s name on it and rebuked people who either forgot or didn’t know the protocol.
That same month, they wrote a long letter to the world, which apppeared in The New York Times, expressing their happiness with their digs, with each other and their peacable life addressed to “People who ask us what, when and why.” It was printed on a whole NY Times page and reproduced in papers around the world.
And then there were random or to-do lists for various helpers or reminders for himself: one says “No. 1: – Elizabeth Hardwick, Sleepless Nights, (Random); No. 8: Pineapple (1), (one).” In fact, the last few pages of the book contain lists of every kind.
John’s writing is often illegible, so the editor places a typed version next to each original (when the editor himself can understand it) along with the drawings, if any.
The editing is just right in supplying chronological or missing history (John learned to sail and had one horrifying sail in a storm). Davies was obviously a close friend as well as being a smooth, non-interruptive chronicler of John’s life, seeking only to make John’s emotions and characteristics accompanying his mostly short writings clear as we go along.
Monday, Dec. 8, 1980 – John and Yoko are going to a recording studio to work on a song of Yoko’s at five in the afternoon.
As they talked with a young man, Paul Goresh, outside the door of their Dakota apartment house on Central Park West, John was “approached by a stranger from Hawaii who had been waiting for him for some time clutching a copy of Double Fantasy. John asked him if he wanted the LP signed.”
The person nodded his head. He signed it, and Goresh heard John say, “Is that okay?”
Goresh took a photograph of John signing that album. John and Yoko came back five hours later. Ribeah was still there.
This is what John had said on that album:
Letter 285: Autograph for Ribeah, 8 December, 1980
“For Ribeah,
Love,
John Lennon
Yoko Ono
1980”
Book info:
The John Lennon Letters
By John Lennon; edited and with an introduction by Hunter Davies
Little Brown, $29.99
Posted by Rae Eastman
on November 1, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Book Reviews,Columns,Opinion.
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