"The Last Happy Occasion" is the coming-of-age story of an American Jew
and aspiring writer in the sixties and seventies. In this memoir in six
movements, Alan Shapiro recalls how poetry helped him make sense of his
own and other people's lives. Events unfold, including his sister's
death, that make him reconsider the transformative power of art and
accept the limitations of poetry in confronting the untransformable pain
of mortal loss.
A refreshingly honest, lovingly crafted work, "The Last Happy Occasion"
is a treasure map for anyone interested in exploring the intersections
of life and art.
"[Shapiro] seeks what lies at the deepest level of the human heart to
mitigate his--and our--separateness from others."--Chase Collins,
"Chicago Tribune Books"
"Shapiro, not unlike Auden, doses his wordplay with a certain sly irony.
. . . We come away from Shapiro's book with an intimate appreciation of
the little subversions that poetry can work in one's life."--Jonathan
Kirsch, "Los Angeles Times"
" "The Last Happy Occasion" is touching and intelligent, emotionally
satisfying and eloquent testimony to the power of poetry to instruct,
heal and inspire."--Emily Barton, "New York Times Book Review"
"The literary criticism is sharp, but what enthralls the reader more is
Shapiro's humorous but honest perspective on his younger self, a
perspective that is critical without being condescending."--Heller
McAlpin, "Newsday"
"He is an acute observer of moments, people, art and language. And he
packs even seemingly simple stories with many layers of meaning. . . .
He shows us the power and importance of transformative art in life."--
"Publishers Weekly, " starred review
Nominatedfor the 1996 National Book Critics Circle award
