biography
- William (Billy) James Collins was born on March 22, 1941, in Manhattan, New York (enotes.com).
- His mother, Katherine Collins, inspired his “love of words, both written and spoken” (poemhunter.com).
- Collins attended Archbishop Stepinac High School and later graduated from the College of Holy Cross in 1963 (poemhunter.com).
- He obtained a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in English at the University of California at Riverside (poemhunter.com).
- He is known for his witty and quirky voice (Poetry Foundation).
- He was named the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 until 2003 and again as New York’s Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006 (Poetry Foundation).
- He won the “Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry” and his poems have been featured in the “Best American Poetry series” (poets.org).
- Collins earns a “six-figure sum” which is unheard of for poets (poemhunter.com).
- Besides being a writer, he is a professor at multiple colleges such as Columbia University (poemhunter.com).
- Today, he resides in Westchester County with his architect wife Diane, planning “for his poems to outlast the buildings she designs” (enotes.com).