About Billy Collins
William James Collins, known as Billy Collins (New York, March 22, 1941), is an American poet, designated as Poet Laureate of the United States between 2001 and 2003. The New York Times has described him as “America's most popular poet”. He pursued a master's degree and doctoral studies (specializing in Romantic poetry) at the University of California, Riverside. There he met Professor Robert Peters, a poet and scholar of Victorian literature. During this time, he was also influenced by the Beat Generation and contemporary poets such as Reed Whittemore, Howard Nemerov, and Karl Shapiro. His breakthrough to a wider audience came in the early 1990s. Although a poem by him had already appeared in the important poetry yearbook “The Best American Poetry” in 1992, Billy Collins' popularity remained largely confined to the poetry scene. Four volumes of poetry had already been published, revealing Collins's distinctive poetics. His collection for “Questions About Angels” was selected for publication in the prestigious National Poetry Series. Radio host Garrison Keillor invited Collins to read his poems on his show, “Prairie Home Companion.” Collins was gaining popularity.As a poet, he shares his work not only through writing but also through performance. Between 2013 and 2015, he collaborated with singer Aimee Mann on a tour that combined music and poetry in a conversational format. He has also collaborated with Paul Simon on four occasions since 2008 and presented a TED Talk, “Everyday Moments, Caught in Time” (2012). On September 6, 2002, he publicly read his poem “The Names” in a special session of the United States Congress, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. His poem “Fishing on the Susquehanna in July” has been incorporated into the United States Native American literary record as an important cultural asset.
Billy Collins' poetry feels lighter than that of other poets, as his poems are written in a skeptical yet humorous tone. Collins uses accessible language to draw the reader into his poetic world. His poems usually begin with a serene restlessness. He discovers life from the sidelines, both himself and his readers. He amusedly strolls through the seemingly familiar, extracting gems from the material of everyday life. His strengths: wit, a sensitive eye for observation, clarity, and the explorer's drive to uncover mysteries.
Collins has also been a professor at Leham College since 1968, where he has also conducted research at the CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies and taught poetry seminars.
Browse all poems and texts published on Billy Collins
Poetry is like standing on the edge of a lake on a moonlit night and the light of the moon is always pointing straight at you.
