This Saturday: Poetry for Every Season with Billy Collins

Posted in Programs and Events on December 10 2014, by Matt Newman

The poetry of Billy Collins has long bridged the gap between the generations with its evocation of all things New York. For those who live here, his verse is a painted representation of daily life in the city, winter trips along the Hudson, and workaday commuter rituals unchanged for decades. At large, he’s a classic American poet, something recognized by virtue of the fact that he’s a former U.S. Poet Laureate. But as timeless as his words are, the effect is all the more potent when you hear them read aloud by Collins himself.

This Saturday, December 13, Billy Collins returns to The New York Botanical Garden for an intimate reading of his works in our Ross Hall. For those of you who’ve enjoyed strolling the Poetry Walk that winds its way through the Perennial Garden—just outside the Holiday Train Show taking place in the Conservatory—this is a chance to hear these poems as they were intended by the writer. Of course, if you haven’t had the opportunity to stroll through Poetry for Every Season, you’ll have the best of both worlds. And it’s not a bad time to check out the Train Show, either.

Collins joins us at 2 p.m. on Saturday, but seating is limited, so it’s best to pick up your tickets sooner rather than later. Registration is still available—head here for more info! And seeing as these tickets also offer All-Garden Pass privileges, you’ll have access to everything else taking place in the Garden right now, from the Holiday Train Show and its children’s activities in the Adventure Garden to the Flora Illustrata exhibit in the Library. It’s about as classic a holiday outing as you’ll find in NYC.