In May, 2002, a theatrical and musical adaptation of the poetry of
Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon titled "Sounds of Absence: A
Dramatic Presentation of the Poetry and Music of Loss" was performed at
Chicago's DePaul University. Susan McGury wrote and directed the piece.
He was awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts for his contributions to American poetry. He was a Poet Laureate of the United States from 2006 to 2007.
He earned degrees from Harvard and Oxford University.
He was best known as a poet, but also wrote plays, short stories, essays, children's books, biographies, and co-wrote a popular guide to writing, "Writing Well".
He started writing poetry at age 12, when his interest in horror movies inspired him to read the works of Edgar Allan Poe.