Womack Documents Lennon and Ono’s Studio Return in New Book

Kenneth Womack, Ph.D., professor of English and Popular Music, has recently published "Starting Over with John and Yoko: The Paragraphs," (Rutgers University Press, 2026).

Co-authored with Roger Farrington, "Starting Over," documents the return of John Lennon and Yoko Ono to the recording studio at Manhattan's Hit Factory in 1980. The book includes exclusive photographs from Farrington, along with historical narrative and context from Womack.

"I am delighted that Roger's photographs, taken at a key moment when John and Yoko returned to the recording studio in 1980 after several years' absence, are finally being published together. This is a significant instance in the life of Beatles studies, especially the study of Lennon's solo career and its considerable impact upon world culture, which continues into the present day," Womack said.

In the book, Womack provides an insider's look at celebrity photography in the pre-digital age and details Lennon's final moments in a studio setting. Months later, Lennon was assassinated blocks away from the studio.

One of the world's leading authorities on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence, Womack is the author of several recent works, including "Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles," "John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life," and "Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans."