WHALE DAY And Other Poems

Billy Collins may be the most popular poet working in America today, and this audio edition of his latest collection is a good demonstration of why that is so. In both speaking and writing, his voice is intimate and conversational, never declamatory, inviting us into the poems. The poems cover a wide range of subjects, although aging and death come up repeatedly, which is not surprising for someone who has retired to Florida (according to a few of the poems). But he is still actively engaging with the world in his work and making gentle fun of almost all of it, including himself. His tone in writing and speaking is often bemused, letting us get the surface first, then the genuine depths of his mature poetry. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]