From Grapefruit to Acorn: Yoko Ono publishes book of 'instructional poems'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nearly 50 years after writing the conceptual art book Grapefruit, writer, artist and peace activist Yoko Ono has released a sequel that she hopes will inspire people and get them thinking and reading.
Acorn, a book of 100 "instructional poems" and drawings that will be published on July 15, goes back in time, according to the widow of Beatle John Lennon, because it is something she originally created for the Internet in the 1990s.
Each day, for 100 days, she communicated a different idea for people to explore. She has now compiled them in a book.
"I like the idea because many people are not reading books anymore. They are just going to the computer," Ono, who turned 80 earlier this year, said in an interview.
"I'm going back this way because I really believe reading a book is a totally different experience from just going to the Internet and the way it goes into you - the information, the communication."
Each instruction is accompanied by a dot drawing that gives readers "further brainwork," Ono said. The instructions and the illustrations challenge readers to look at the world around them in a different way.
Sky Piece VIII
Sit under a blue sky.
Keep your head open
and empty.
Let ideas come into you.
Cherish them.
Like Grapefruit, which was published in 1964, Ono's newest book is divided into sections such as Sky Piece, Work Piece, Watch Piece and Cleaning Piece. She described each instruction as "poetry in action."
Although she was initially worried that Acorn would not be as good as its predecessor, she thinks it may be even better.
"I think that on an organic level, this is a more refined piece," she said.
In addition to her literary pursuits, Ono, who famously staged "bed-ins" for peace with Lennon in Amsterdam and Montreal in 1969, is still campaigning for causes she believes in.
Earlier this year, she tweeted against gun violence and posted a photograph of the blood-stained glasses that apparently were worn by Lennon when he was shot to death in New York in December 1980.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments