Comments on: Donald Hall Is America's New Poet Laureate

Donald Hall Is America's New Poet Laureate

ericb — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:59:54 -0800

Donald Hall Is America's New Poet Laureate
The New Hampshire resident, and widower of fellow poet, Jane Kenyon, has been named as the United States' new poet laureate. Hall has won many awards, including two Guggenheim Fellowships and a Robert Frost Medal, and has served as poet laureate of his state. He has had a distinguished literary career.

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:06:11 -0800

Besides his poetry I strongly recommend his engaging autobiographical works: Seasons at Eagle Pond and Life Work.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:21:34 -0800

I recently borrow up his Without from my local library. Excellent book of poems. Even though it is in a style that I, as a rule, find off-putting, I thought it was excellent.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:47:04 -0800

good for him : > ...In the early 1990s, he served on the National Council on the Arts, an advisory body to the National Endowment for the Arts. It was a time of bitter political controversy over NEA grants to art projects, especially those involving homosexual themes, and Hall argued strongly that the NEA should not act from the "fear of bigots." ... very good. ... he's not the only game in town. Later this month, James Monroe High School in the Bronx will honor its first ever poet laureate, Tiffany Otero. ...

By: sharksandwich

sharksandwich — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:48:58 -0800

All hail Nipsey Russell.

By: Ricky_gr10

Ricky_gr10 — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:12:41 -0800

Hall discussed his duties as poet laureate in a recent interview with Robert Siegel on NPR. He's thinking towards a radio show on NPR or a project for PBS or cable, but these are only his preliminary ideas. In any event, it will be interesting to see what Hall makes of his laureateship--there's lots of leeway. A wonderful poet.

By: Ricky_gr10

Ricky_gr10 — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:17:49 -0800

The above-mentioned interview, and text of the poems he reads in it, are archived.

By: whoshotwho

whoshotwho — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:21:08 -0800

I heard him at a poetry reading. He was pretty boring.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:22:45 -0800

What's with all these poems about barns and flowers and stuff? BORING.

By: paladin

paladin — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:31:14 -0800

I like poetry in general, but what I read on that "archived" page above seems quite mediocre.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 22:34:04 -0800

he's not a hit you over the head with brilliance kind of poet, paladin ... he's subtler than that ... and delmoi, if you really think it's about barns and flowers ... just forget it

By: j-urb

j-urb — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:18:31 -0800

He'll never be as good as Ted Kooser.

By: LooseFilter

LooseFilter — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:29:42 -0800

I heartily second the recommendation of Life Work. One of the most important and beautiful books I've ever read. (also, pretty sure delmoi was being ironical.)

By: ori

ori — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:57:45 -0800

The six or so poems archived on NPR are pretty good, but not something I'd spend an afternoon reading. Maybe city folk do sincerely go for this pastoral stuff, but its election still rings like false nostalgia to me. I haven't read anything comprable to Ashbery's Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror that has been published since, but then again I don't read much.

By: RavinDave

RavinDave — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 04:24:57 -0800

I dunno, j-urb. Kooser always struck me as stream-of-conscious rambling while staring at a Hallmark's card. But to be fair, so does most modern stuff.

By: mountainmambo

mountainmambo — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 04:41:22 -0800

For the kids: Try Ox-Cart Man. It's slow but beautiful.

By: theinsectsarewaiting

theinsectsarewaiting — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 05:52:24 -0800

The One Day, especially the poem "Prophecy", is about a unboring as poetry gets. His essay, "Poetry and Ambition" should be required reading for any aspiring poet. A safe choice for laureate, but hardly the worst.

By: jenii

jenii — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:53:08 -0800

I thought Weeds and Peonies was just heartwrenching. Frankly, I'm a little cynical that this administration bothered to appoint any poet laureate at all. But I'm glad they did.

By: matteo

matteo — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 07:36:07 -0800

Homer kept writing about people getting stabbed. and don't get me started on the endless catalogue of ships BORING

By: j-urb

j-urb — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:50:12 -0800

Kooser always struck me as stream-of-conscious rambling while staring at a Hallmark's card. But to be fair, so does most modern stuff. There was some sarcasm in that statement. Personally I would like to see Baraka be named laureate, how cool would that be? I think the person who gets to be laureate, is the person who is least offensive,

By: j-urb

j-urb — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:50:54 -0800

In my satement I mean, the one where I said "Kooser is better."

By: ori

ori — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:22:28 -0800

I would like to see Baraka be named laureate As the adage goes, I just threw up a little in my mouth.

By: RavinDave

RavinDave — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:35:25 -0800

j-urb ... I know Kooser. Helluva nice guy. And I'll admit to a general bias against modern poetry(*) wherein every bon mot or turn of phrase is considered a poem. Bah! By that standard, my favorite "poet" is Ross MacDonald. ---------- (*) except Brautigan ... loved the Braut man. Met him once ... real twitchy sort, trouble with eye-contact and talked into his chest ... but loved his stuff.

By: jcruelty

jcruelty — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:42:34 -0800

This bit from The Seventh Inning has always stuck with me: 4. addressing a urinal perhaps, perhaps poised over a white toilet with feet spread wide and head tilted back: oh, what'delicious permission! what luxury of letting go! what luxe yellow curve of mildest ecstasy! Granted we may not compare it to poignant and crimson bliss, it is as voluptuous as rain all night long It's so perfect... when I take a long-delayed piss I think to myself, "what luxury of letting go! what luxe yellow curve of mildest ecstasy!" good on ya, hall

By: lumpenprole

lumpenprole — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:47:29 -0800

Let me also reccomend his essays collected in Breakfast Served Any Time All Day. They really seem to get in your head.

By: gesamtkunstwerk

gesamtkunstwerk — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 18:31:47 -0800

Homer kept writing about people getting stabbed. and don't get me started on the endless catalogue of ships BORING Yeah. I'm working on a list of poets I've read who are better than Hall and Homer, and numbering them according their merits.

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 18:41:58 -0800

This post inspired me to read Without which just so happened to be on my kitchen table because Kattullus* borrowed it from the library. I have not the words. It was amazing. And heartwrenching. I had to lie on my bed in the fetal position for a while to recover. In a good way. *This is not some bizarre coincidence, he's my husband.