The Last Happy Occasion

by Alan Shapiro

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.


Nominated for the 1996 National Book Critics Circle Award.

 

"[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

" 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

"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

"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


"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

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Memoir

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Alan Shapiro (born 1952) is an American poet and professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of nine poetry books, including Tantalus in Love, Song and Dance, and The Dead Alive and Busy.

In addition to poetry, Alan Shapiro has also published two personal memoirs, Vigil and The Last Happy Occasion.
(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Rachel Dao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters: 3
The characters were well described because Alan Shapiro, the author, talked about their background and reactions to certain things, “Jennifer and Eric were interested in the project but they worried about the vaguely therapeutic…” (Shapiro 3). I liked the characters because they were different and each impacted Shapiro’s life, “And so maybe when he faced me... to acknowledge his own failure…” (Shapiro 160). They are believable because they are real people and they stay true to themselves; whether they are still trying to learn who they are growing up, or as an adult.
Setting: 2
The setting is not important to the story because it is about Shapiro’s life and what he learned, not what he saw. Because he is telling his life story, the book is rushed, yet organized enough that it is not sloppy or confusing. If the author were born at a different time period, then the ways things happened or the outcome might be different, based on technology and the society in general. One time, a lady asked Shapiro to help her with the groceries when he was young, “Would I be so kind, she asked, as to carry them upstairs for her?” (Shapiro 15), and he agreed, but if this were to happen in the present day, then it would be considered dangerous and foolish.
Plot: 3
The story was told in order: starting from when Shapiro was a boy, and progressing until he was an adult. The ending was not predicted because the story was a narrative, and I could not infer what would occur in Shapiro’s life. The plot is about a man trying to find his place in life, “He too wasn’t ready for the world” (Shapiro 165).
Theme: 3
The main idea that Shapiro was trying to portray was that people should be happy with who they are, because there is nothing wrong with being different, “… her mind trying to pull away… to remind herself who she really is” (Shapiro 197). The story is actually about the author growing up against stereotypes and with criticism on his writing. The title does not have to do with the theme, because there are many happy occasions in life where people will realize that they are special.
Personal Response:
I thought that the book was both boring and interesting, depending on the section of the book. When the author compared his life experiences with literature, it was boring, but the stories about his life were interesting. I would recommend this book to a friend that is interested in literature.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir in essay form. Shapiro weaves thoughts about poetry and writing into these essays.