Being A Short Diversion On The Dubious Origins Of Beatles, represented Lennon's first appearance in print, 6th July, 1961. Lennon's friend Bill Harry asked him to write an account of the history of The Beatles to date for the first issues of the new fortnightly paper he edited, Mersey Beat. As John Robertson wrote, Harry ...expected to receive a straightforward account of names and places, but instead Lennon sheepishly turned in a goonish, pun-laden treatise which was the first outside evidence that the Liverpool rocker was also a notable wit...