LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2007) – Billy Collins, United States Poet Laureate 2001-2003, will hold a public reading of his poetry in the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on the Florida Southern College campus on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.  A book signing will follow.  The event is free of charge and will have open seating.

Billy Collins has published nine collections of poetry and has edited two anthologies of contemporary poetry.  His work breaks sales records for poetry, and he has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The American Scholar.  His popularity among people of all ages and backgrounds – his public readings are usually standing-room only – has been enhanced by his frequent appearances on National Public Radio.  He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a New York Public Library “Literary Lion,” and he has won a number of other prizes and fellowships.

In addition to being named U. S. Poet Laureate, Billy Collins was appointed New York State Poet Laureate 2004-2006.  He is professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York. 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 13:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor’s institutions and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.