Billy Collins, Former Poet Laureate, Comes to Winsted and AMP

It’s hard to comprehend that boyish and wryly hilarious Billy Collins, the former poet laureate of the United States, is 80 years old. 

It’s hard to comprehend, also, that someone whose work is so accessible and delicious could have been selected for an honor such as the Poet Designated to Reach Out to a Nation aka U.S. Poet Laureate. He was chosen by Pres. George W. Bush and served from 2001 to 2003 and during that time helped millions of people across America understand that poetry can be wonderful, if it’s prepared just the right way. 

Collins was a professor at Lehman College in New York City for many years, but after retiring in 2016 he now lives in California and Florida. He journeys back east/north again to help The American Mural Project in Winsted celebrate its Art of Work Gala on Saturday, Sept. 18.

The gala begins at 5 p.m. with a reception (open bar, hors d’oeuvres) and tours of the massive mural being constructed under the guidance and inspiration of Ellen Griesedieck of Sharon, Conn. The mural honors America’s workers, an appropriate subject for a work of art that fills a massive former industrial mill. 

Collins will take the stage at 6 p.m. and read a selection of poems specially selected for the gala. 

If you think that nothing could be more boring than a poetry reading, you should definitely watch one of the many videos online of Collins reading. He isn’t just dry and funny; his poems are observational and casual and conversational, and are more like having a chat with a wry and insightful friend than like  a high school poetry class. 

Collins himself isn’t exactly a fan of the traditional poetry seminar; look at his poem on this page, “Introduction to Poetry,” to get a sense of what it looks like from the teacher’s podium.

Collins also teaches poetry through the Master Class online program.  The trailer for the class on YouTube is a delight unto itself.

The Mural Project is also a delight; if you haven’t seen it, you should.

There are three levels of tickets for the gala. All of course include the reception and the reading. There will also be a dessert reception after the reading; general tickets are $175. Priority tickets are $300 and include special seating. The $500 tickets include a special dessert reception with Collins.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. with a tour of AMP’s mill building, with an open bar and “generous hors d’oeuvres.”

Guests can view the current mural installation progress. 

Event contingency plans are in place to comply with state mandates.

For tickets or more information, call 860-379-3006 or go to www.americanmuralproject.org/gala.