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A Visit from Poet Billy Collins
Hopkins was honored to welcome former poet laureate and author Billy Collins to campus on Thursday in celebration of Poetry Month.
Hopkins was honored to welcome former poet laureate and author Billy Collins to campus on Thursday, April 10 in celebration of Poetry Month.
A former poet laureate and author of a dozen books of poetry, Billy Collins is one of the most recognized names in contemporary American letters. At a special assembly on Thursday, Collins read a selection of new and previously published work, followed by two question-and-answer sessions in the Calarco Library. "I like poems that start in Kansas and go to Oz," he said, explaining his preference for poetry that has a sense of mystery, but is not deliberately obscure. Critics have praised his writing for moving, by imperceptible degrees, from the mundane to the fantastic. Though large audiences gather to hear him read from his collections, Collins says he still likes to think of the poem as a private communication between a poet and a reader, with all the expectations that a real relationship would entail. "The ending should be an agreement with your reader," Collins advised aspiring poets. "I don't want to say anything more and you don't want to hear anything more." This week, students and visitors can enjoy a sampling of Collins's poetry on signs placed among the early daffodils in campus gardens.
Please see the attached photo gallery for more photos from his visit.
Click here to view his website to read some of his poems and learn more about his work: http://www.billy-collins.com/
Video:
Billy Collins reads his poem Litany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Iq3PbSWZY
Billy Collins on the Colbert Report: http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/j9efvm/billy-collins
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A former poet laureate and author of a dozen books of poetry, Billy Collins is one of the most recognized names in contemporary American letters. At a special assembly on Thursday, Collins read a selection of new and previously published work, followed by two question-and-answer sessions in the Calarco Library. "I like poems that start in Kansas and go to Oz," he said, explaining his preference for poetry that has a sense of mystery, but is not deliberately obscure. Critics have praised his writing for moving, by imperceptible degrees, from the mundane to the fantastic. Though large audiences gather to hear him read from his collections, Collins says he still likes to think of the poem as a private communication between a poet and a reader, with all the expectations that a real relationship would entail. "The ending should be an agreement with your reader," Collins advised aspiring poets. "I don't want to say anything more and you don't want to hear anything more." This week, students and visitors can enjoy a sampling of Collins's poetry on signs placed among the early daffodils in campus gardens.
Please see the attached photo gallery for more photos from his visit.
Click here to view his website to read some of his poems and learn more about his work: http://www.billy-collins.com/
Video:
Billy Collins reads his poem Litany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Iq3PbSWZY
Billy Collins on the Colbert Report: http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/j9efvm/billy-collins
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Hopkins is a private middle school and high school for grades 7-12. Located on a campus overlooking New Haven, CT, the School takes pride in its intellectually curious students as well as its dedicated faculty and staff.
