As a child, Collins developed a love for the way words sound together in verse, thanks to his mother, who raised him on recitations about various subjects. His father further inspired him through humor, while during his teenage years, he was influenced by the poets of the Beat Generation.
Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) Talks offer a platform that informs people about a wide range of topics. Among the Top 100 TED Talks of all time is one by Collins, in which he shares some of the everyday poems he has written. Collins started in 1968 as a professor of English at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, and through the years has been called "The most popular poet in America" by the New York Times. He created a collection of 180 poems—one for each day of the school year—to share with his students. He mentioned that some people develop "anti-poetry deflector shields" during high school. I believe this is true, as poetry can often be difficult to read and understand. Through poetry about experiences such as childhood memories, dogs, drinking coffee, and the passage of time, readers encounter playful scenarios while reflecting on his words. He sometimes reimagines or converses with figures from literature, history, and art, giving them modern, humorous twists.
Collins has toured with some of my favorite musicians, including Paul Simon and Aimee Mann, to share music and poetry in a conversational format. Random House Publishing Company awarded him an advance for three volumes of poetry — reportedly a six-figure sum, which is virtually unheard of in the poetry field. In 1992, he was named a “Literary Lion” by the New York Public Library, and in 2005, he received the Mark Twain Award for Humor in Poetry. These are just a few of the notable accomplishments of Collins, often referred to as the "people's poet."
As the month begins, stop by the library at 1:00 p.m. on March 1 for a filmed conversation between Billy Collins and former New Yorker editor Daniel Menaker at the John F Kennedy Library Foundation. Pick up a copy of Collins’ book of poems Sailing Alone Around the Room, to be discussed in Traphill Branch Library at noon on March 13.
March weather can be unpredictable but one thing’s for sure, you can depend on Billy Collins for his lighthearted, approachable poems.