Happy Hour

by Alan Shapiro

"Within his deliberately narrowed range Mr. Shapiro has cultivated a new generosity of detail and insight. This is especially important in the longer poems here, narratives of considerable power. They may seem more like versified short stories than poems, but their skill and force are moving."—J. D. McClatchy, New York Times Book Review

" Happy Hour is one of the best collections I have recently read. Mr. Shapiro writes with apparently equal ease in free verse and more nearly traditional forms, and he brings his formidable technical skills to bear upon matters of great our need to love and be loved, and the often perverse ways in which we maintain our connections to those closest to us."—Henry Taylor, Washington Times

"This is a haunting, mature collection that should attract a larger audience for Shapiro's fine poems."—Thomas Swiss, Chicago Tribune

56 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1987

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

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This poet is a great story teller. In his poem, Vine he tells the story of an outdoor plant. The description is so vivid the reader can visualize the vine and all its leaves. Also, in this collection are poems told from a child’s point of view that gives the reader a reflection on adult life. The title poem begs the question who is really happy at happy hour?

I will explore more of his work.