Donald Hall--Interview by David McDonald

American Poetry Review, The, Jan/Feb 2002 by McDonald, David

DM: In "Poetry and Ambition," you said that too many McPoems are being written and published. That such poems are the products of the workshops of Hamburger University. And you suggested the ringing slogan: "Abolish the MFA!" since the workshop schools us to produce the McPoem. Now you are the Poet-in-Residence at an MFA program at Bennington College. Has your attitude towards those programs changed?

DH: I feel a bit embarrassed about "McPoems" and "Hamburger University," that look like cheap shots. The proliferation of MFA programs may be distressing, creating so many would-be poets, or encouraging them, or overflowing the job market for writing teachers . . . but I do visit such programs from time to time and find bright people. I like best the brief-residency programs. In 1976 1 took part in the one at Goddard, which has become Warren Wilson, and admired its energy. I love the Bennington program for its literary energy, and for its availability to people of all ages and situations.

I do not love any program for turning out poets, the way Honda turns out automobiles-but the programs are not causes of poetic inflation; they are symptoms of it.

DM: One of the problems you have noted in other interviews and writings is the separation of creative writing programs from English departments in the universities. And you have noted that teaching literature is of great value to the writer because great literature rubs off and you learn by teaching, by encountering what you don't know well enough. Has there been any improvement in the writing programs towards teaching great literature, teaching writers how to read?

DH: In many institutions, more literature is taught in writing programs than in English departments, but most of the poetry studied is 20th century. The 17th century isn't taught. It's the best century for poetry in the history of our language-maybe the best in the history of any language. Its neglect is a terrible mistake. There is Wyatt in the 16th, and of course Chaucer even earlier-but the 17th! Dryden died in 1700 so we have to include him. Otherwise, much of Shakespeare, all of Milton, Marvell, Herbert, Vaughn, Herrick . . . so many. I am sure that I have left out some of my favorites. John Donne!

DM: Getting back to your essay "Poetry and Ambition" for one last question, in that essay you quoted Horace from his Ars Poetica as saying that poets should keep their poems at home for ten years before putting them out to the public. You said in 1983 that you would be grateful if poets kept them home for 18 months. Do you still feel that way? What about an older poet? Can he or she afford to wait that long?

DH: Although I never sound as if I believe it, I have to admit that there are certain poets who write quickly and well. William Stafford. Robert Creeley. I resent it!

I believe that almost all poets should keep their poems home for two years. Often I keep a poem around longer than that. You should never publish poems that are not sufficiently lived with. Older poets too. To die without publishing things is better than to die publishing bad work.