{"product_id":"the-apple-that-astonished-paris-poems-paperback","title":"The Apple That Astonished Paris: Poems - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBilly Collins\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBruce Weber in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e called Billy Collins \"the most popular poet in America.\" He is the author of many books of poetry, including, most recently, \u003ci\u003eThe Rain in Portugal: Poems\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1988 the University of Arkansas Press published Billy Collins's \u003ci\u003eThe Apple That Astonished Paris\u003c\/i\u003e, his \"first real book of poems,\" as he describes it in a new, delightful preface written expressly for this new printing to help celebrate both the Press's twenty-fifth anniversary and this book, one of the Press's all-time best sellers. In his usual witty and dry style, Collins writes, \"I gathered together what I considered my best poems and threw them in the mail.\" After \"what seemed like a very long time\" Press director Miller Williams, a poet as well, returned the poems to him in the \"familiar self-addressed, stamped envelope.\" He told Collins that there was good work here but that there was work to be done before he'd have a real collection he and the Press could be proud of: \"Williams's words were more encouragement than I had ever gotten before and more than enough to inspire me to begin taking my writing more seriously than I had before.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis collection includes some of Collins's most anthologized poems, including \"Introduction to Poetry,\" \"Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House,\" and \"Advice to Writers.\" Its success over the years is testament to Collins's talent as one of our best poets, and as he writes in the preface, \"this new edition . . . is a credit to the sustained vibrancy of the University of Arkansas Press and, I suspect, to the abiding spirit of its former director, my first editorial father.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1988 the University of Arkansas Press published Billy Collins's The Apple That Astonished Paris, his \"first real book of poems,\" as he describes it in a new, delightful preface written expressly for this new printing to help celebrate both the Press's twenty-fifth anniversary and this book, one of the Press's all-time best sellers. In his usual witty and dry style, Collins writes, \"I gathered together what I considered my best poems and threw them in the mail.\" After \"what seemed like a very long time\" Press director Miller Williams, a poet as well, returned the poems to him in the \"familiar self-addressed, stamped envelope.\" He told Collins that there was good work here but that there was work to be done before he'd have a real collection he and the Press could be proud of: \"Williams's words were more encouragement than I had ever gotten before and more than enough to inspire me to begin taking my writing more seriously than I had before.\" This collection includes some of Collins's most anthologized poems, including \"Introduction to Poetry,\" \"Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House,\" and \"Advice to Writers.\" Its success over the years is testament to Collins's talent as one of our best poets, and as he writes in the preface, \"this new edition . . . is a credit to the sustained vibrancy of the University of Arkansas Press and, I suspect, to the abiding spirit of its former director, my first editorial father.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBilly Collins is Distinguished professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York. He was appointed poet laureate of the United States for 2001-2003 and is currently the poet laureate of New York State. He is the author of eight collections of poetry including his latest, The Trouble with Poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 74\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.26 x 8.52 x 5.08 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 01, 2006\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51771596079392,"sku":"9781557288233","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/b7e2301fffe2f527621636ee77773dae.webp?v=1780389136","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-apple-that-astonished-paris-poems-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}