October 2, 2012 – Former U. S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins will read excerpts from his work during a free public event at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College. Collins is the 2012 Visiting Writer, a program co-sponsored by the College’s English Department and “Experiencing the Arts” Program. Collins will also work with English students on their creative writing as part of a two-day campus residency.
Often referred to as "the most popular poet in America," Collins’ poetry mixes humor with insightful observations into everyday life. A regular contributor on National Public Radio programs, he was appointed as the Poet Laureate of the United States in 2001.
The author of nine collections of poetry, including "The Trouble with Poetry" (2005), "Ballistics" (2008), and most recently "Horoscopes for the Dead" (2011). His work has appeared in such esteemed publications as “The New Yorker,” “The Paris Review,” and “The American Scholar.”
Collins has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, and was the inaugural recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry. A former New York Public Library "Literary Lion," he is a distinguished professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York.
The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. A book signing will follow the reading. Selected volumes of his poetry will be available for purchase prior to the event at King’s/Wilkes Barnes & Noble Bookstore, S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, and at the reading.
Parking will be available at on-campus lots. No tickets are required. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please contact Rev. Anthony Grasso, C.S.C., at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5631 or e-mail anthonygrasso@kings.edu.
Former U. S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins will read from his works on Oct. 15 at King’s College. Photo by Steven Kovich.
King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.
For Immediate Release
Further Information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958