William James "Billy" Collins
- Born:
- March 22, 1941, New York City, New York, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Poet, Educator
Early Life and Education
- Raised in Queens, New York.
- Graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School.
- B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross (1963).
- M.A. (1965) and Ph.D. (1968) in English Literature from the University of California, Riverside.
Career and Major Achievements
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Lehman College of the City University of New York.
- United States Poet Laureate (2001-2003).
- New York State Poet Laureate (2004-2006).
- Served as a literary lion of the New York Public Library.
- Recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation.
- Known for his accessible and humorous style, making poetry appealing to a broad audience.
- Frequently appears on radio and television programs.
Notable Works
- Pokerface (1977)
- The Apple That Astonished Paris (1988)
- Questions About Angels (1991)
- Picnic, Lightning (1998)
- Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems (2001)
- Nine Horses (2002)
- The Trouble with Poetry (2005)
- Ballistics (2008)
- Horoscopes for the Dead (2011)
- Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems (2013)
- The Rain in Portugal (2016)
- Whale Day (2020)
Legacy and Impact
William James "Billy" Collins, a prominent figure in contemporary American poetry, has significantly broadened the appeal of the art form through his witty, accessible, and insightful verse. The impact of poet billy collins and biography extends far beyond academic circles, influencing a generation of readers and writers.