GCSU Hosts U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins as Darugar Visiting Lecturer

Georgia College & State University’s Creative Writing Program will host former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins Monday, March 4, for a reading and Q&A. Collins served back-to-back terms as poet laureate from 2001 to 2003.

Collins will take part in a Q&A session from 4 to 4:45 p.m. in Arts & Sciences 140. He will also give a reading of his poetry from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the A&S auditorium, followed by a book signing.

Called “the most popular poet in America” by New York Times editor Bruce Weber, Collins is the author of 12 collections of poetry. These include “Aimless Love,” “Sailing Alone Around the Room” and his most recent collection, “Whale Day.”

Collins also edited the anthology collections “Poetry 180” and “180 More.”

As the country’s poet laureate in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001, Collins wrote a poem in honor of the victims. Collins read “The Names” during a joint session of Congress held in New York City in 2002, and it remains one of his most well-known poems.

“Collins’ level of fame is almost unprecedented in the world of contemporary poetry,” according to The Poetry Foundation. His many awards and accolades include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Foundation, as well as serving as New York State poet laureate from 2004 to 2006.

Collins holds a bachelor's degree from College of the Holy Cross, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California-Riverside. His numerous teaching appointments include Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence, Lehman College and City University of New York. Collins is also a faculty member at the State University of New York-Stonybrook.

The Dr. and Mrs. Barry Darugar Lecture is an annual event. Faculty members nominate writers of national renown, then select a writer from the pool of distinguished nominees.

Darugar Lecture events are free and open to the public.