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Donald Hall, U.S. Poet Laureate: A Resource Guide

External Websites

The following links to external websites provide more information about the life and works of Donald Hall.

Biographical information about Donald Hall also can be found on the following websites:

Academy of American Poets External
A biography of Donald Hall, samples of his poetry and prose, and links to external resources.
Poetry Foundation External
A biography of Donald Hall, selections of his poetry and prose, as well as audio recordings and podcasts featuring his work.
Guide to the Donald Hall Papers, 1928-2014, University of New Hampshire External
"The collection is approximately 700 cubic feet in extent, most of which is unprocessed. The largest part consists of correspondence and manuscript drafts and is approximately 600 cubic feet. The remaining 100 or so cubic feet are books. There are also recordings and photographs. Accrual of new material is ongoing."

For the latest news and discussions related to Donald Hall, see:

A selected list of news articles, interviews, and conversations, arranged in chronological order, follows below.

Selected Articles, News, and Interviews

"All Our Work Holds Good: Rereading the Poet Donald Hall’s Beautiful Children’s Book Ox-Cart Man in a Time of Turmoil" External
Slate. July 5, 2018.
"Donald Hall and the Nature of Time in Baseball Country" External
National Review. July 1, 2018.
"Donald Hall was a Far better Wordsmith than Second Baseman" External
The Irish Times. June 28, 2018.
"Conversations with Donald Hall" External
The Laconia Daily Sun. June 27, 2018.
"Donald Hall in The New Yorker" External
The New Yorker. June 26, 2018.
"Donald Hall's Life Work" External
The New Yorker, June 26, 2018.
"Donald Hall, the Poet Laureate Who Loved Baseball and Sports Writing, Dead at 89" External
Poynter. June 26, 2018.
"What Donald Hall Understood About Death" External
The Atlantic. June 26, 2018.
"Donald Hall: Poet, Farmer, Indefatigable Observer of Life" External
The Christian Science Monitor. June 26, 2018.
"A Poem to Remember Donald Hall, Former U.S. Poet Laureate" External
PBS NewsHour. June 25, 2018.
"He Holds Up a Lantern for the Rest of Us: Ann Patchett on Donald Hall" External
Literary Hub. June 25, 2018.
"Donald Hall, Who Gave His Life to Work and Eros" External
The Daily blog, The Paris Review. June 25, 2018.
"Donald Hall (1928-2018)" External
The Mumpsimus. June 25, 2018.
"Remembering Donald Hall" External
Bennington College. June 25, 2018.
"On the Passing of Donald Hall: Poet, Children's Book Author, Baseball Fan" External
Russ on Reading. June 25, 2018.
"In Memory of New England Poet and US Poet Laureate Donald Hall" External
Beacon Broadside. June 25, 2018.
"Unpacking the Boxes: A Small Tribute to Donald Hall, (1928-2018)" External
TracyRittmueller.com. June 25, 2018.
"REMEMBRANCE: Donald Hall, a New England Poet of the First Order" External
The National Book Review, June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall, a Poet Laureate of the Rural Life, is Dead at 89" External
The New York Times. June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall, Former U.S. Poet Laureate who Wrote of Nature and Loss, Dies at 89" External
The Washington Post. June 24, 2018.
"Former U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall Dies in New Hampshire" External
Lost Angeles Times (Associated Press). June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall, Former US Poet Laureate and Bard of New Hampshire’s Eagle Pond, Dies at 89" External
The Boston Globe. June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall, a Giant of American Poetry, Dies at 89" External
Concord Monitor. June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall, US Poet Laureate and Prize-winning Man of Letters, Dies at 89" External
The Guardian. June 24, 2018.
"Donald Hall [Poet]: 'I worked on Christmas day in order to be able to brag I worked on Christmas day'" External
The Believer. April/May 2018.
"Donald Hall, Former U.S. Poet Laureate, Reflects on Writing in His 89th Year" External
Concord Monitor. November 4, 2017.
"Former U.S. Poet Laureate to be Honored at UNH" External
Concord Monitor. October 25, 2017.
"A Q&A With Poet Donald Hall, Author of December’s #1 Indie Next List Pick" External
American Booksellers Association. December 2, 2015.
"Donald Hall on Meeting Dylan Thomas and a Chipmunk" External
The Washington Post Style Blog. March 2, 2015.
"Interview: The Poet Donald Hall" External
The Washington Post. January 6, 2015.
"What's Donald Hall Reading?" External
Tampa Bay Times, January 4, 2015.
"Too Old to Write a Poem" External
The Christian Science Monitor. December 22, 2014.
"At Eagle Pond: Donald Hall Reflects on Life after Poetry" External
The Poetry Foundation, December 17, 2014.
"Poet's Gift Folds into Night: Inspiration has Left, Hall Says" External
Concord Monitor. March 2, 2011.
"Donald Hall" External
How a Poem Happens. June 15, 2009.
"Donald Hall: An Advocate for the Understanding of Poetry" External
The Christian Science Monitor. April 17, 2007.
"Donald Hall" External
Identity Theory. December 18, 2006.
"Q&A: Meet New Poet Laureate" External
Newsweek, June 15, 2006
"A Conversation with Donald Hall" External
The Atlantic. October 1996.
"For Poet Laureate, In Vino Veritas" External
Harvard Crimson. June 30, 2006.
"In a Place Out of Time" External
The Washington Post, November 6, 1993.
"Flying Revision's Flag" External
Poets.org. Originally published in Kestral in 1993.
"Work That Builds a Sense of Home" External
The Christian Science Monitor. November 6, 1991.
"Donald Hall" External
"The Art of Poetry No. 43," The Paris Review, Issue 120. Fall 1991.

A selection of radio programs featuring Donald Hall or in which Hall and her work are discussed.

"Remembering Poet Donald Hall" External
Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR. June 30, 2018 (1:00)
"Mike Pride Remembers Poet Donald Hall" External
New Hampshire Public Radio. June 28, 2018 (6:11)
"Remembering Former Poet Laureate Donald Hall" External
Fresh Air, NPR. June 29, 2018 (37:20)
"Conversations with Poet Donald Hall, New Hampshire's Adopted Native Son" External
The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio. June 25, 2018.
"Donald Hall Found The Glory Of Brief Grace" External
The ARTery, WBUR. June 25, 2018 (2:47)
"Ex-Poet Laureate Donald Hall Dies At 89" External
Morning Edition, NPR. June 25, 2018 (3:32)
"WORDS ON A WIRE: Donald Hall" External
Words on a Wire. May 27, 2018 (29:30)
"Poet Laureate Donald Hall" External
Whad'Ya Know?. December 12, 2015 (23:06)
"At 86, Poet Donald Hall Writes On, But Leaves Verse Behind" External
All Things Considered, NPR. October 6, 2014 (5:24)
"Donald Hall: A Poet's View 'Out The Window'" External
Fresh Air, NPR. February 8, 2012 (12:06)
"Two Former U.S. Poet Laureates, Billy Collins and Donald Hall" External
The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU. October 8, 2008 (51:20)
"Amid Tragedy, A Place for Poetry" External
Minnesota Public Radio. April 26, 2007.
"U.S. Poetry's New Chief: Donald HallU.S. Poetry's New Chief: Donald Hall" External
All Things Considered, NPR. June 14, 2006 (8:54)
"New Poet Laureate Hails from New Hampshire" External
Morning Edition, NPR. June 14, 2006 (03:17)
"Donald Hall Reflects on His Life of Poetry" External
Minnesota Public Radio. January 21, 2005 (7:14)
"Donald Hall's Baseball Poetry" External
Day to Day, NPR. October 28, 2004 (03:08)
"Poet Donald Hall" External
Fresh Air with Terry Gross, NPR. April 10, 2002 (31:45)
"Donald Hall on his marriage to Jane Kenyon" External
All Things Considered, NPR. April 19, 1998 (11:31)

Podcasts and other non-radio audio recordings featuring Donald Hall are listed below.

"Donald Hall And Jane Kenyon, July 1977" External
Recording by Boyd Hayes, student writer for Dartmouth College newspapers The Dartmouth (1:02:25)
Essential American Poets External
Donald Hall's selection of classic American poets reading from their work. From the Poetry Foundation.
"Donald Hall" External
Kelly Writers House. April 16-17, 2007

Many videos of Donald Hall reading and discussing his work can be found through the following sources:

YouTube - "Donald Hall" search results External
Numerous videos of Donald Hall reading and performing his work appear through this YouTube search on his name.
"Writing Naked: Donald Hall on Poetry and Metaphor in Journalism" External
NiemanReports. March 29, 2013 (1:01:51)
"The 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal Ceremony" External
YouTube. March 2, 2011.
"Donald Hall and the Poetic Process" External
Books, Inq. June 11, 2009.
"A Poetry Reading" External
University of Virginia, February 2, 2007 [via YouTube] (29:10)
"A Life Together: Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon" External
BillMoyers.com, December 17, 1993 (56:18)
Web of Stories External
Video series featuring Donald Hall discussing his life and work.

Selected online reviews of Donald Hall's poetry and prose appear below.

Poetry Reviews

The Selected Poems of Donald Hall (2015)

The Back Chamber (2011)

White Apples and the Taste of Stone (2006)

The Painted Bed (2002)

Without (1998)

Old Post-Gazette External

The Museum of Clear Ideas (1993)

Old and New Poems (1990)

Publishers Weekly External

The One Day (1988)

Publishers Weekly External

Prose Reviews

A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety (2018)

Eagle Pond (2007)

Curled Up External

The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon (2005)

Willow Temple: New and Selected Stories (2003)

Kirkus Reviews External

Principal Products of Portugal: Prose Pieces (1995)

Life Work (1993)

Kirkus Review External

Here at Eagle Pond: Essays (1990)

Publishers Weekly External

Seasons at Eagle Pond (1987)

The Ideal Bakery: Stories (1987)

Kirkus Review External