Jonathan Cott met John Lennon in 1968 and was friends with him and Yoko Ono until John's death in 1980. He has kept in touch with Yoko since that time, and is one of the small group of writers who understands her profoundly positive influence on Lennon. This deeply personal book recounts the course of those friendships over the decades and provides an intimate look at two of the most astonishing cultural figures of our time. And what Jonathan Cott has to say and tell will be found nowhere else.

Offering new insight into Lennon and Ono as individuals, artists and lovers, Days That I’ll Remember is a gifted music journalist’s memoir of a seismic time in music, politics and culture and one of the most incisive and affectionate portraits ever written about this world-altering couple. In this rich account of their relationship, Cott tells his own story alongside his many interviews with the couple. While most originally appeared in Rolling Stone, they usually did so in shortened form; the full-length versions here contain previously unpublished and often revealing material. Also featured is a recent Cott interview with Yoko Ono as well as images from her private archive. Jonathan Cott’s relationship with two of the most iconic figures of our time began in 1968 when, as London correspondent for the fledgling Rolling Stone, he went to interview John Lennon and Yoko Ono in their London flat. A friendship was born that lasted for the rest of Lennon’s life and still continues today between Cott and Yoko Ono. It was Jonathan Cott who interviewed the couple about their Double Fantasy album on December 5, 1980 in their apartment at the Dakota in New York. It would be Lennon’s last major interview.

An account of the late Beatle's last days discusses Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono, Yoko's heroin use and extramarital affairs, Lennon's virtual self-imprisonment in the Dakota, his battles with Yoko, and more. Reprint.

The star of Parks and Recreation and author of the New York Times bestseller Paddle Your Own Canoe returns with a second book that humorously highlights twenty-one figures from our nation’s history, from her inception to present day—Nick’s personal pantheon of “great Americans.” To millions of people, Nick Offerman is America. Both Nick and his character, Ron Swanson, are known for their humor and patriotism in equal measure. After the great success of his autobiography, Paddle Your Own Canoe, Offerman now focuses on the lives of those who inspired him. From George Washington to Willie Nelson, he describes twenty-one heroic figures and why they inspire in him such great meaning. He combines both serious history with light-hearted humor—comparing, say, Benjamin Franklin’s abstinence from daytime drinking to his own sage refusal to join his construction crew in getting plastered on the way to work. The subject matter also allows Offerman to expound upon his favorite topics, which readers love to hear—areas such as religion, politics, woodworking and handcrafting, agriculture, creativity, philosophy, fashion, and, of course, meat.

John Lennon is a giant of popular music and culture. As one-quarter of the Beatles, he was in the vanguard of music, art, fashion and popular culture during the sixties. He stands as an iconic figure even for those who grew up long after his untimely death in 1980. Above all, Lennon was one of the 20th century's greatest and most important songwriters. Songs he wrote with Paul McCartney define an era. Others he wrote alone, such as "God", "Help!" and "Revolution," betray a contradictory and troubled character. Lennon was never one to hide his love away, nor his anger, nor his convictions.

Hold On World revisits Lennon and Ono's love affair and startling collaborations. John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band was arguably the most emotionally honest album ever made. It wasn't merely another record but more like a sonic exorcism, a spiritual, public bloodletting. Lennon's album drove a stake through the heart of the Beatles' myth while confronting everything else in John's life, from Dylan to God to his glorified status as a "Working Class Hero." Determined to rid himself of past traumas—abandonment by his father and the death of his mother, Julia—Lennon wrote the most powerful song cycle of his career, confronting fear, disappointment, and illusion, all the while espousing his love for Yoko Ono. Released simultaneously, Ono's album Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band is emotionally raw and challenging. It inspired bands like the B-52s and Yo La Tengo to employ pure sound, whether shrieking vocals or guitar feedback, to express their deepest feelings.

Postmodern art emerged in the late 1960s following a time period when art had been defined by superstars like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Rejecting the idea of art being exclusive to professionals, artists who emerged during the postmodern era believed anyone could be an artist and anything could be art. Through exciting main text featuring annotated quotes from experts, detailed sidebars, and examples of postmodern art, readers explore how the foundations of art were challenged by postmodern artists such as Andy Warhol and Barbara Kruger and also how their work still impacts today's art world.