Edwin O'Connor

Edwin O'Connor was an American radio personality, journalist, and novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962 for “The Edge of Sadness” (1961). His novels focused on the Irish-American experience and often dealt with the lives of politicians and priests. In the 1950s, O'Connor began a career as a television critic for two Boston newspapers, a profession he would follow for the rest of his life. He also wrote his first novel, “The Oracle” (1951). Soon afterward, he wrote the novel for which he is most remembered, “The Last Hurrah” (1956). The novel concerns a Boston Irish politician, Frank Skeffington, as seen through the eyes of a nephew whom he invites to accompany him on what turns out to be an unsuccessful reelection campaign. Skeffington has a gentlemanly manner, lacing his talk with literary quotations. He is slightly corrupt, but delivers service to his constituents. He is an expert at juggling and balancing the claims of the various Boston-area ethnic groups. But his time has passed, and he loses the election. While not a roman à clef, there are points of similarity between Skeffington and Boston mayor James Michael Curley. This novel was adapted for film in 1958, and O'Connor wrote the screenplay himself. Another of his novels, “I Was Dancing” (1964), is about an aging vaudevillian who tries to reconnect with his son after twenty years of casual neglect. His last novel, “All in the Family,” appeared in 1966. Published posthumously in 1970 was “The Best and the Last of Edwin O'Connor,” which included excerpts from his published novels, fragments of unpublished works, articles written by him, and a lecture transcript. The book's introduction was written by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. He is remembered for coining the term "the last hurrah" and bringing it into the vernacular.