New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Poet Laureate, who has been called “America’s favorite poet.”
New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has been called “America’s favorite poet,” and his impact on contemporary American poetry cannot be understated. He has helped bridge the gap between poetry and the general public, demonstrating that poetry can be both popular and critically respected.
In his new witty and heartfelt collection of poems, entitled Dog Show, Collins captures the essence and mystery of dogs, turning his inimitable eye and ear to the complexities of dog behavior, while pondering the profound companionship that dogs bring to our lives and what we learn from them about ourselves.
Collins has written 15 collections of poetry, and his works have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, with several becoming New York Times bestsellers. He has received numerous prestigious awards and honors throughout his career. His poetry has gained both critical acclaim and popular appeal, breaking sales records and reaching wide audiences through readings and radio appearances.
Collins sees his poetry as “a form of travel writing” and considers humor “a door into the serious.” It is a door that many thousands of readers have opened with amazement and delight.
After serving as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003, he served as New York State Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006.
Collins’ work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The American Scholar. He is a Guggenheim fellow and a New York Public Library “Literary Lion.” His readings are usually standing room only, and his audience – enhanced tremendously by his appearances on National Public Radio – includes people of all backgrounds and age groups.
After earning his B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross, Collins went on to earn both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Romantic poetry from UC Riverside. He began a long teaching career at Lehman College in the Bronx, part of the City University of New York, where he ultimately became a Distinguished Professor before retiring in 2016. Collins also taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and SUNY Stony Brook Southampton.
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