Billy Collins (placeholder)

I met Billy Collins at a reading in Muskegon, Michigan. Let me tell you, the man is FUNNY. I’ve never laughed so much at a poetry reading in my life. It was a very enriching and entertaining hour. And then my 3 friends and I went to have books signed and take photos. We acted a bit like 7th grade girls, I’m afraid. Very giggly and bashful. But I think Billy liked us. Yes, Billy. We’re on a first name basis now. ;)

Once I met him in the hotel (in Sheraton hotel)...at least I think it was him)

Billy Collins came to BC and read some poems in Gasson Hall. I think he was poet laureate at the time. Anyway, the place was pretty packed. Like everyone else, I got in line afterwards and he signed a book. For some reason it was very awkward. The whole deal of getting books signed by authors is awkward, I suppose, not that that’s ever stopped me.

I met Billy Collins after a spellbinding reading at a Writers Conference in Idaho. I couldn’t believe how this Male, Catholic, only child could possible have gotten inside my head! Female, Jewish,with siblings and 7 grandchildren. Truly a wonder. He was gentile, warm and very friendly. He’s the kind of person that youy hope will talk, read or anything, on and on..I have all his books; DVD and CD’s. I mentioned my son’s mother-in-law and he immediately had total recall re her and her connection with him. Amazing guy and he plays golf too! Too bad he’s taken!

I ran across one of his poems on The Writer’s Almanac – a daily e-newsletter sent from Garrison Keillor. I loved the poem (can’t remember which one now) and immediately went out and bought his book.

Just recently, he did a reading at UCLA, and I went to see it. I sat in the last row and couldn’t see him at all, but loved the way he could infuse his poems with sarcasm and humor – which isn’t totally apparent in the poems themselves at times. I wanted to hang around back stage to see about meeting him, but I had someplace else to be.

One day, I’d like to take a writing class with him. It would be so great to meet him, and even better to learn from him!

I went to the Geraldine Dodge Poetry festival in New Jersey when I was 16. Billy Collins was yet to be the Poet Laureate of the U.S. and I spoke to him about speaking at my Arts Highschool in Florida. He gave me his address. Later during the festival, he saw me crying (I had quite a vicious fight with my mother on the phone) So I was walking along, and he was walking along—he saw me—came over and hugged me. After that, he had lunch with me and my classmates. He’s possibly the most laid back, sincere, generous person I’ve met. Later I sent him a letter thanking him for his kindess. He wrote me back and included “Elk River Falls” a poem he was working on at the time.

I held on to that letter for years, and then when he came to Boston, where I am living now, I heard he was reading at Harvard, my friend Liz got me seats up front. It had been five years since we first met, when billy collins saw me (he was sitting three seats away) he said “You look familiar” I nearly started crying and pulled out the letter he sent me in 2000. “What a nice guy I am!” he said. We spoke, and later we talked for awhile about writing, life, everything. he took a picture with me, kissed me on the cheek and signed my book “To Shannon, who has cheered up!”

Fanfuckingtastic! I hope you all get to meet him someday.