Surrounded by a standing-room only crowd in Bayley Auditorium inside the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center, Billy Collins, world-renowned poet, engaged those present with his wit and words, March 12.

A professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York and
a Guggenheim Fellow, Collins served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003.

His work appeals to a wide variety of readers and, when paired with his critical
acclaim, has broken sales records with the release of his last three collections. In addition, his work has been featured in such notable publications as The New York Times, The Paris Review and The American Scholar.

“I see my poetry as a form of travel writing,” Collins said. “Humor is a door into
the serious.”

The New York Times agrees, noting that his use of humor lures listeners “unwittingly into deeper, more serious places. [It’s] a kind of journey from the familiar to quirky to unexpected territory, sometimes tender, often profound.”

Collins’ Witt Series program was dedicated in memory of the late Professor of
English Allen Koppenhaver.