Before his death last month, former poet laureate Donald Hall was preparing to publish his final book, a collection of short essays on life as he approached his 90th birthday, a birthday that he knew he would not reach. The book came out just weeks after his death and features Hall's reflections on the challenges of growing older, his encounters with famous poets, his life with his beloved wife, poet Jane Kenyon, and the way in which he spent much of his career, exploring death. His new book is called A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety. NHPR's Peter Biello spoke with Hall's editor, Deanne Urmy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity.) This was not your first time working with Donald Hall. Can you tell us a little bit about your history with him? Sure. I have worked with him for I think about 17 years. Considering Don's career, that's a mere blip. But I've worked with him on poetry and a little fiction. The last three books have been