From Library Journal
"My grandfather did not know the maiden names of either of his grandmothers," Hall says in the first selection he reads. "I thought that to be forgotten must be the worst fate of all." Not surprisingly, he organizes these tapes around remembering, dedicating the whole to his late wife, the poet Jane Kenyon. Hall, a poet who 20 years ago quit academia and moved back to his ancestral home in small-town New Hampshire, brings unique perceptions to past and present. Even when he writes about poetry, or reads from his own work, these pieces become accessible even to those less familiar with poetry. And these two tapes are perfectly organized?memoir, small-town life, poetry, memoir. Years of reading his poems aloud pay off, giving his voice a clarity and precision of inflection. Even those familiar with Hall's work will gain new respect listening to these tapes. Highly recommended.?Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Donald Hall has published over thirty books of verse and prose, thus establishing himself as a master wordsmith with a musician's ear for the sounds and rhythms of words and their meanings. Audio Bookshelf's production of Hall's Prose & Poetry features prose excerpts from String Too Short to be Saved, Seasons at Eagle Pond, Fathers Playing Catch with Songs, Here at Eagle Pond, Life Work, and Principal Products of Portugal. Selected poems are taken from The One Day, Old and New Poems, The Museum of Clear Ideas, The Old Life, and Uncollected Poems. Donald Hall's narration gives each listener a memorable experience of words painstakingly entwined with an emotional impact. -- Midwest Book Review
