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

American poet Donald Hall served as U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry from 2006-2007 at the Library of Congress. This guide provides access to selected print and online resources related to Hall’s life and work.

Introduction

U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall. 2006-2007. Photo credit: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

On June 14, 2006, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced the appointment of Donald Hall to be the Library’s 14th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. On making the appointment, Billington said,

"Donald Hall is one of America’s most distinctive and respected literary figures. For more than 50 years, he has written beautiful poetry on a wide variety of subjects that are often distinctly American and conveyed with passion."

Hall served one term as poet laureate, finishing his duties in spring 2007. During his year as poet laureate, Hall and Andrew Motion engaged in a historic joint reading (see video below) of American and British poets laureate.

This guide compiles links to resources on Donald Hall throughout the Library of Congress website, as well as links to external websites that include features on Hall's life or selections of his work.

This guide provides an overview of print and online resources related to Donald Hall's life and work. To suggest additions to this guide, please contact the Researcher and Reference Services Division.

Contact Information for Donald Hall

If you would like to contact Donald Hall please direct your inquiries as suggested below:

  • Permissions Requests: Contact the publisher of the poem or work written by Hall that you'd like to use.
  • Reference Questions: Use the Library's Ask a Librarian service.