Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins Visits Christ School

On Wednesday, November 9, 2016, faculty and students of Christ School gathered in St. Joseph’s Chapel with members of the Asheville community for a reading by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Over 400 people requested tickets to the event, which was the culmination of a week of activities with the author.

Collins spent most of that time with the students of Christ School, giving lectures, visiting classes, and holding informal readings. He was a delightful guest, fielding questions like, “Mr. Collins, have you passed your prime?” with good humor and grace: “Oh, yes. I’m all washed up. Nothing left in the tank.”

One month before his visit to Christ School, Collins published his twelfth collection of poetry, The Rain in Portugal. The book offers nearly fifty new poems and showcases the author’s trademark generosity, wit, and imagination.

Billy Collins is the fourth author Christ School has hosted thanks to the Godwin-Hauser Visiting Writer Program, and the second U.S. Poet Laureate to grace the Christ School campus – fellow Laureate Charles Wright '53 attended Christ School for his Junior and Senior years. The Godwin-Hauser Visiting Writer Program is made possible by an endowment from Col. William Hauser ’50 and the generosity of author Gail Godwin (Flora, A Southern Family), who spent time at Christ School while writing a book about an all-boys boarding school. The Godwin-Hauser Visiting Writer Program celebrates writing, reading, and the connections we make through literature.