Poetry Challenge #288-Begin in Kansas . . .
March 22nd is a red-letter day! It’s officially spring! Three Two Twos—who doesn’t love saying “tutu”—and it’s the birthday of American’s Favorite Poet, Billy Collins! (If you doubt that “favorite” bit take it up with the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, Bruce Weber, who called him “the most popular poet in America.”
Billy Collins, former poet laureate of the United States (2001-2003) and New York State poet laureate (2004-2006), was born in NYC! In 1975 he cofounded the Mid-Atlantic Review with Michael Shannon, has more degrees than digits on a thermometer, receives six-figure advances on—gasp—“poetry collections,” of which he has published eleven: one-one!
An only child, Billy’s mother, a nurse, “had the ability to recite verses on almost any subject, which she often did, and cultivated in her young son the love of words, both written and spoken.” Listen up, y’all!
Why?
“[Billy Collins] puts the ‘fun’ back in profundity.”
Poetry Challenge #288
Begin in Kansas . . .
In an NPR interview* Scott Simon asked Billy Collins how his poems start in one place and end up in another. Collins response: I'm always looking to move the poem or let the poem expand or contract or turn in some unexpected direction.” Or, in his own words, his poems “Begin in Kansas and end in OZ.”
Let’s give it a try. Below is a snap of the Table of Contents from Collin’s collection of short poems, Musical Tables. And here’s what Billy C has to say about short poetry:
Thinking “Short,” choose a title from the list. Use that title in a short poem of your own. Use it as the poem’s title or in the body of the poem. Either way, see if you can’t do as Billy does and take your poem in a completely different place from where it began.
Bulldog Tutuville maybe!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Write Toto, Write!
*Craving more Billy Collins? Listen/read the Billy Collins on Musical Tables interview with NPR’s Scott Simon.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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