Biography
Karl Jay Shapiro's life was a tapestry of literary achievements intertwined with personal struggles. Born in Baltimore, he navigated the complex social and academic landscapes of his time, ultimately becoming a celebrated poet and critic. His works resonated with the tumultuous changes of the 20th century, capturing the essence of an artist who lived a life of constant evolution.
Early Life and Education
Karl Jay Shapiro entered the world on November 10, 1913, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, whose background was rooted in Eastern Europe, initially worked as a customhouse broker before venturing into the moving and storage business. Shapiro's early education was marked by transitions; his family first moved to Chicago and then settled in Norfolk, Virginia, where he spent most of his formative years. The economic downturn of 1929 forced the family back to Baltimore, where Shapiro completed his high school education at Forest Park High School and Baltimore City College. Despite his academic struggles, family expectations were high, especially in comparison to his accomplished elder brother.
Shapiro's university experience proved challenging. He briefly attended the University of Virginia but left after just one semester. During this time, he became acutely aware of societal divides, experiencing exclusion both as a Russian Jew among German Jews and as a middle-class student among the predominantly WASP faculty and peers. In response, Shapiro turned inward, immersing himself in writing, studying French and Latin, and briefly pursuing piano lessons. Financial constraints led him to take on various odd jobs, including work in drugstores and hardware shops, and eventually, as a filing clerk at his father's company.
Poetic Beginnings and Academic Struggles
Despite financial difficulties, Shapiro managed to save enough for a transformative trip to Tahiti, where he composed the now-lost Tahiti Poems. His return home marked the beginning of his formal recognition as a poet, kickstarted by a scholarship to The Johns Hopkins University, based on his privately published collection, Poems. During this period, Shapiro underwent a religious crisis, edging towards Catholicism and even contemplating a name change to Karl Camden for greater acceptance.
In 1939, Shapiro's academic performance led to his expulsion from Johns Hopkins, yet this setback coincided with his emerging literary success. His works were featured in various publications, including The New Anvil and Poetry World. A particularly popular piece, “Self History,” gained traction across multiple East Coast newspapers. Around this time, Shapiro met Evelyn Katz, who would become his wife and a pivotal supporter of his career.
Military Service and Literary Acclaim
Shapiro's life took another turn in 1941 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Prior to his military service, Shapiro had only a modest number of published poems. However, his time stationed "somewhere in the Pacific" became a period of prolific writing, culminating in The Place of Love and Person, Place and Thing, which significantly raised his public profile. By 1943, he was among the Five Young American Poets, and his poetry became widely circulated, earning him the Contemporary American Poetry Prize.
His wartime service, though primarily behind a desk, left a lasting impression on Shapiro, shaping his perspective as an observer deeply affected by the horrors of conflict. This experience enriched his writing, leading to the publication of V-Letter, and Other Poems in 1944, and the following year, he received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Upon returning home, Shapiro found himself thrust into the literary limelight, a position that came with its own set of controversies.
Post-War Controversy and Academic Ventures
In 1945, Shapiro sparked debate with his Essay on Rime, described by critic Dudley Fitts as his
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, described by critic Dudley Fitts as hisars poetica. In it, Shapiro distanced himself from the modernist giants like Yeats, Eliot, and Pound, critiquing both mainstream and academic poetry. With his growing reputation, he published Trial of a Poet, and Other Poems in 1947 and accepted an associate professorship at The Johns Hopkins University. He courted controversy in 1948 when he opposed awarding the first Library of Congress Bollingen Prize to Ezra Pound, which he defended in the Partisan Review.
Shapiro's views on poetry, as articulated in his Montgomery Lectures, emphasized its role as an adversary to literature, arguing against the clinical analysis by academics. These ideas were later published under the title Beyond Criticism, further cementing his position as a challenging voice in literary circles.
Literary Career and Lectures
After the war, Shapiro's life unfolded along two distinct paths. He became a prominent figure on the lecture circuit and edited influential literary magazines. Meanwhile, his writings, such as The Bourgeois Poet and Edsel, offered candid critiques of societal contradictions and his personal struggles.
In 1950, Shapiro moved to Chicago to take the helm of Poetry magazine, a role he held for six years before relocating to Nebraska to edit Prairie Schooner. Over the years, he taught at several universities, including stints at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Nebraska, and delivered lectures on American poetry abroad.
Later Years and Legacy
The 1960s marked a period of change for Shapiro, both personally and professionally. He separated from his first wife, Evelyn, and remarried Teri Kovach. During this time, his work took on a more critical tone, as seen in "To Abolish Children," reflecting on America's cultural upheavals. In 1968, he accepted a position at the University of California, Davis, where he stayed until his retirement in 1985.
Shapiro's later poetry collections, including Adult Bookstore in 1976, reflect his California experiences and showcase some of his finest verse. He embarked on an autobiography, beginning with The Younger Son in 1988, which traced his early life and career. The second volume, Reports of My Death (1990), humorously tackled false media reports of his suicide and delved into his post-war life and controversies.
Shapiro spent his final years in New York with his third wife, Sophie Wilkins, before passing away in 2000. His legacy endures through his poetry and critical essays, which continue to inspire and provoke thought within the literary community.
Criticism by Karl Shapiro
