A review by corar
A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety by Donald Hall

4.0

As he approached the age of ninety former poet laureate of the United States, Donald Hall, wrote this collection of essays. In them he reflected on the life of someone approaching the end, reminisced about things that happened to him when he was younger, and recorded his thoughts on his fellow poets. Many of the essays were moving, especially given the perspective of someone who was nearing the end of their life. The section on his thoughts on other poets was less interesting to me, primarily because I am not familiar with most of the people he was talking about. The final essay, "Tree Day," was poignant as it was the one where he most directly addressed the fact that his days were numbered and how he wanted to leave something for the future.