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