http://www.beatlesnews.com/news/john-lennon/201003300745/lennon-author-announces-9book-series.html
March 30, 2010
Jude Southerland Kessler, author of the expanded biography of the
life of John Lennon from 1940-1961, Shoulda Been There, announced on
Sunday at the Fest for Beatles Fans that her highly-documented Lennon
series will encompass 9 books on the musician/artist/peace activist's
life. "It's only fitting that I break the detailed study of John
Lennon into nine volumes," Kessler smiled. "John had an uncanny
affinity for the number 9; it pervaded his life from his birth at 9
Newcastle Road on 9 October to his death on 9 December. (In England,
it was the 9th.)
"But more importantly," she went on, "the amount of research and
reporting needed to do justice to this multi-talented and genius
artist will honestly take nine complete books to reveal adequately."
Kessler's first book, which was researched for 20 years with 7 trips
to Liverpool, traced Lennon's childhood, teen years, and early band
career. It encompassed his meetings with Paul McCartney and George
Harrison, the formation of the Quarrymen, the early Beatles' tour of
Scotland and two tours of Hamburg, Germany. "Shoulda Been There tells
the story of John's Liverpool years," Kessler stated. "When The
Beatles formed a managerial agreement with Brian Epstein and stepped
onto the world stage, the book came to a close. It was the end of that era."
Her second work, which will be released this year on Lennon's 70th
birthday, will carry his saga through mid-April 1963. "Even though
the time frame is much shorter in Shivering Inside," Kessler said,
"the book will be about the same length because John and The Beatles
did so very much in those two and a half years. They toured Hamburg
several times, auditioned for Parlaphone and won a record contract,
released Pete Best from the band and hired Ringo Starr, recorded
their first single - "Love Me Do" - and recorded their first Number
One hit, 'Please Please Me.' John married Cynthia Powell and had a
baby, Julian. And The Beatles recorded their first LP, 'Please Please
Me' at the Abbey Road studio while touring with Helen Shapiro.
Believe it or not, that is just the tip of the iceberg! They were
tremendously busy every single day!"
Corresponding with Sam Leach and meeting with Larry Kane this week in
Philadelphia, Kessler is dotting every "i" and crossing every "t" to
get the facts on Lennon's life sorted out from the legend. "In many
Beatles biographies," she said, "there are hearty measures of myth. I
am including a section at the end of every chapter in Shivering
Inside in which I discuss the discrepancies between Lennon
biographers and try to dispel the long-standing, oft-repeated myths.
The truth is more interesting."
Kessler's next book, She Loves You, will cover the time span between
April 1963 and the end of 1965. "It will, of course, focus on the
impact of the Beatles in America, but it will also examine the rocky
relationship between John and Cynthia Lennon during those fast-paced,
unsettling years."
Kessler is currently speaking across the country at Beatles and
rock'n'roll conventions, pre-selling the second book, Shivering
Inside. She appeared this past weekend at the Fest for Beatles Fans
in the Meadowlands, just outside of New York. She will be at the
Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans, BeatlesFestWest in San Francisco, and
Charles Rosenay's Rock'n'Roll convention in New York, this July.
To find out more information about her in-depth Lennon series or to
book Kessler for a speaking engagement, go to www.ontherockbooks.com
or contact Jenn Vanderslice at www.MoonglowPR.com.
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