Nell Beram

A perfectly serviceable biography of Yoko Ono, though not as riveting as it could have been. I was already familiar with some of her work, mostly due to my obsession with The Beatles, and have admired her in her own right for some time now, but I particularly liked the chapters on her personal and professional life before John entered the picture. I was surprised that the book totally omitted all discussion of drug use and downplayed how much her many miscarriages seemed to affect her psyche over the years...this could be because this is written as YA non-fiction, but on the same token, if it can discuss the scene where Lennon audibly had sex in another room with another woman while attending a party with Yoko, it can delve into these other difficult topics as well. This biography certainly seems to be written with a bias, which is a shame. I admire Yoko and her vision, but I appreciate her human side, too. Though the book was frank about her struggles with the notion of motherhood (loved that!), I can understand the attempt to not demonize a woman that has faced her fair share of that over the decades.

TL;DR--good book for introducing Ono's life and work, but just as complicated as the woman herself.… (més)

In this biography of Yoko Ono’s life, released on the eve of her 80th birthday, authors Beram & Boriss-Krimsky strive to show her as an unusual and unique artist misunderstood by her own generation, not fully accepted by her peers, yet finally accepted by all later in life.

Read the rest of the review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/yoko-ono-collector-of-skies-n...… (més)

Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies by Nell Beram is a biography of Yoko Ono and an overview of her career. It was nominated for a CYBILs in the nonfiction category and I read it as part of the selection process for the short list.

Yoko Ono has had (and continues to have) a long and varied career that covers many media and genres. For those who are curious about her this book provides a decent outline of her life and work, accompanied by numerous black and white, and color photographs both of her and her work.… (més)