[powerpress]
Author Susan Shumsky first appeared on SATB in 2019, upon the publication of her memoir, The Maharishi and Me, which detailed her twenty years living at his ashram (including six years working directly for his organization). We discussed her knowledge of The Beatles’ Rishikesh sabbatical then, but with her new book, The Inner Light, she goes deep with an exploration of how their interactions with Indian culture and the TM movement impacted their lives and their art. In the course of over 500 pages, she gives chapter and verse on the manifestations of these interactions, sometimes hiding in plain sight, that appeared in their music.
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Given the unique circumstance of Double Fantasy – John Lennon’s first work in five years and his slaying within a few short weeks of its release – it is hard to assess the final work issued during his lifetime; a joint effort with his wife, Yoko Ono. Its initial tepid reception gave way to it serving as a place for mourners worldwide to project their grief, and has, for some, grown to status as perhaps his finest work. For others, it pointed to evidence of his irrelevancy in a world that had changed during his time away; for still others, it was a showcase for Yoko being in far more tune with the times than the former Beatle.