Family Focus
Grandpa's Story At Last!
Morris 'Monyak' Last, 77, pens autobiography for his grandkids.
Judith Doner Berne
Special
to the Jewish News
M
orris (Moishe) Last is and has
been many things, but most of
all he's a talker.
"I like to talk to people Last says.
"Maybe it's because I couldn't commu-
nicate when I first came to this country.
My wife sums it up — 'You would talk to
dirt.'
So it's not so unusual that he would also
talk to paper — by writing a book.
Indeed, his honesty, humor and high
spirits pervade The World According to
Monyak — Fact, Fiction and Outright
Lies, his recently self-published book that
employs the Polish nickname used only by
his mother.
At age 77 and on medication to deter
memory loss, Last called on family and
friends to help him recall details of his life
for his grandchildren to have and to hold.
Then last winter, which he and wife
Helene spent at their condominium in
Zihuatenejo, Mexico, he rose daily "four to
five hours before everyone" to write.
Last credits his daughter Laura
Solomon, a West Bloomfield wife and
mom, as "the sparkplug who jumpstarted
this old car." Solomon, who juggles her
sales-marketing job and a houseful of
nine children, then helped him translate
his "pile of papers" into a book.
The result is a quirky "chapter book"
with few holds barred. It chronicles his
family's move from Poland to Detroit to
escape the oncoming Holocaust to his
current life with second wife, Helene, in
Bloomfield Township and Mexico.
Chapters such as "The First Girl I Got
in Bed" and "Searching For Flowers" are
lighthearted memories. But he also recalls
briefly "The Tragedies of My Life'
"My life has been filled with laughter
and tears but mostly laughter;' he writes
in the book's introduction. Those tears
include the suicide of his first wife, Marcia,
and the deaths during the Holocaust of all
but one family member who did not leave
Poland with them.
"We've had tragedies in our life as well;'
says Ed Kersch, who has known Last since
attending Detroit Central High School
when they were in AZA together. "Moishe
was right there to give us support. I think
very highly of Moishe:'
Last gathered their AZA buddies from
across the country for a 25th and then
Morris "Monyak" Last weaves a tune.
subsequent reunions, says Kersch a retired
urban planner and businessman from
West Bloomfield.
Then he began and nurtured what has
become a monthly gathering where 30 or
more of their boyhood friends and friends
of friends "have dinner and shmooze for a
couple of hours;' Kersch says.
Indeed Last's loyalty to family and a
wide swath of friends is a theme through-
out the book.
"I've been very lucky with friends:' he
says. "We still get together. The stories
change, one home run becomes seven
home runs:'
Last, who played team sports and still
exercises daily, taught physical education,
art and music for 41 years in the Detroit
Public Schools, where he was a 1986
Teacher of the Year.
A self-taught musician, he plays guitar
and banjo, co-wrote a folk guitar instruc-
tion book, composes music and has been
in the business of recording and promot-
ing musicians.
His master's thesis at Wayne State
University in Detroit was an experimental
study integrating folk music into a camp-
ing program. And Last continues to give
guitar lessons "to anyone who comes to
the door" when he is in Mexico.
The book documents how Jewish
institutions such as the former Fresh Air
Camp in Brighton, AZA and the Jewish
Community Center played key roles in his
life.
"I was one of the kids that went to Fresh
Air Camp. Many of us were immigrant
Here's 'Life's Rules
For My Grandchildren'
Life is like a baseball game:
Treasure the friendships you make
while you're playing.
Give it all you've got.
Let the other guy have a chance.
Be a good team player.
Remember that you won't always
hit a home run.
kids:' he says. He went from camper to
waiter to cook to counselor to dorm head
to assistant director, forming friendships
that have lasted to this day. He also worked
at Camp Tamarack, when that replaced
Fresh Air.
Last taught folk guitar at the Jewish
Community Center when it was on Meyers
in Detroit. One of his classes happened
to include Helene while both had other
spouses.
He recalls the incident in his book. "I
said 'Helene" as I attempted to check off
her name. She responded in a very sassy
tone, saying: 'That's Mrs. Milton Roberts
to you Even then, she was a smart ass and
nothing has changed in the 30 years since
then:'
When they re-met years later at an art
gallery, she remembers saying to a friend,
"I bet he'd make a wonderful husband:"
Now married 20 years, Helene says she
loves his sense of humor and the fact that
"he's such a good person:"
His two eldest grandchildren, Zack, 21,
and Sam, 15,"liked the heritage part of
the book:' Solomon reports for them, since
they are away for the summer. "They were
impressed that he actually started such a
huge undertaking and completed it."
Speaking for herself, "I am very proud
of him. It was always understood, that
even if he sold no books, that was perfect-
ly fine." As it turns out, despite her dad's
many friends, Solomon counts "a whole lot
more sales than friends."
It has been such a good experience, Last
says, that he's tempted to write a second
book, concentrating on his adventures liv-
ing in Mexico.
❑
Last's book is available at www.iuniverse.com/
bookstore as well as AmazonBooks.
Sometimes you will strike out.
Plan for the next game (your
future).
If you work hard, you will achieve
your goals.
More than likely, you will do better
than you think you can.
Reach out and help people.
Whatever the outcome is, it's okay
- it is what it is!
Love,
Papa
JN
July 24 • 2008
C13