Read a Girl - Read a Girl #36: “Grapefruit”, Yoko Ono

This month’s book is a different one. It’s not fiction, but it’s also not non-fiction. It’s a book of instructions. “Instructions for what?”, you might ask. Instructions for art and for life, given by one of the greatest artists of our time.

Yoko Ono’s “Grapefruit” is a whimsical and delightful read. Originally published in 1964, this little gem reached me at a critical period in my life, 50 years after its publication date and it felt more current than ever.

I remember reading it under the shade of a tree in the hot 2015 Berlin summer just after finishing my masters while trying to figure out what to do next and, let me tell you, there’s nothing more reassuring than reading a book that tells you what to do when you are feeling completely lost.

A true monument of conceptual art that definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Find the books featured in our newsletter in our shop at Bookshop.org. 

My first book, “a spectacularly sad ending”, is a collection of poetry and prose about heartbreak, loss and survival. It chronicles experiences of love, loss, abuse and grief, and is for anyone who is or ever had to mend a broken heart. It’s available as a paperback and also on Kindle. You can get it here.

🎵 This newsletter was written to the sounds of “The Ballad of John and Yoko”, by The Beatles.

We have a playlist with all of the music featured in our newsletters. You can listen to it on Spotify.

My name is Renata and I am the Founder and Editor of Read a Girl, a platform aimed at promoting the work of women writers. My background is in journalism and I spent most of my career covering foreign affairs and travelling around looking for good stories to tell. I love reading and my favourite authors are Elena Ferrante, J.D. Salinger, Julian Barnes and Sylvia Plath.

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📚If you are new to our little club, you can read our previous editions here.