The Best Cigarette [Audio Cassette]

Billy Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

The selected poems of Billy Collins read by the author. 33 poems, over 70 minutes, very high quality recording on cassette or CD.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have never before felt possessive about a poet but I am fiercely glad that Billy Collins is ours -- smart, his strings tuned and resonant, his wonderful eye looping over the things, events and ideas of the world, rueful, playful, warm-voiced, easy to love. (E. Annie Proulx)

"Nobody else today writes quite like Collins and few indeed write any better." (X.J. Kennedy)

"Billy Collins writes lovely poems...limpid, gently and consistently startling, more serious than they seem, they describe all the worlds that are and were and some others besides." (John Updike)

"Graceful, ironic, smart." (William Matthews)

"Billy Collins is an American original" (Edward Hirsch)

"Luring his readers into the poem with humor, Mr. Collins leads them unwittingly into deeper, more serious places, a kind of journey from the familiar or quirky to unexpected territory, sometimes tender, often profound" (The New York Times 11/30/97)

"Wonderful! I love Billy's 'music'" (Dr. Robert Coles)

"Enchanting!" (Susan Bergman)

"Superb!" (Emmet Gowin)

"A beautifully rendered collection. I can't ever recall ever laughing out loud so much while listening to poems" (Dr. David Cramer)

"No freshly encountered poet since Frank O'Hara has given me, as a common reader, more unalloyed pleasure." (Warner Berthoff, Boston Book Review)

"One of the richest imaginations around...the affectionate humor with which Mr. Collins regards his surroundings amounts to a powerful kind of love, a reverence of the moment" (The Washington Times)

"this CD is terrific...a great delight. Billy was, needless to say, the greatest sensation we've ever had at SGPF." (Rennie McQuilkin, Director, Sunken Garden Poetry Festival)

"Billy Collins is the essence of all that is alive in contemporary poetry - innovative, humorous, versatile and always aware, grounded in tradition and human experience, he grabs the essence of his subject with vitality, caressing till it speaks to us." (Chris Buckley-Rohrer, KOPN, Missouri)

"Unpretentious, funny and good." (Ira Glass, This American Life)

"The recording is delightful, capturing Billy's wit and easygoing approach...To have truly funny poetry is so refreshing. This will make listeners very, very happy." (Martha Wiseman, Northshire Books, VT)

"We played it while taking my 14-year-old to camp and were pleasantly surprised when an hour or so after playing it, she wanted to hear it again." (Reagan Upshaw)

Billy Collins is a very funny guy, but while his voice (to rip from its careful context one of his own lines) "sounds in places very casual, very blue jeans", it embraces within the artful reach of the poetic lines that carry it a great range of reading and observation. Take the poem "Marginalia", in which we meet Duns Scotus and James Baldwin, an egg-salad dripping, love-struck attendant of Catcher in the Rye, and, most memorable to me, Irish monks in their scriptoria, scribbling private notes in the margins of the gospels: "anonymous men catching a ride into the future on a vessel more lasting than themselves." Be his subject poetry workshops or forgetfulness, saxophones or cows, canceling a vacation or nursing a hangover, Collins shapes his poems with a gentle but incisive humor that is ingratiating, intelligent, and, quite often, inspired. In the nearly three dozen poems he reads on this compact disc, the immediate genius of a stand-up comic is joined to the slow intelligence--the layering of life and learning--of an accomplished poet. He's been my companion on the best car rides of the past few weeks, and I'll be listening to him again tonight. Highly recommended (The Common Reader) -- Reviews

About the Author

Billy Collins is the author of five books of poetry including The Art of Drowning (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995), The Apple That Astonished Paris (University of Arkansas Press, 1988), and Questions About Angels (William Morrow & Co., 1991), which was selected by Edward Hirsch for the National Poetry Series. E. Hirsch praised The Art of Drowning: "Billy Collins is an American original, a metaphysical poet with a funny bone and a sly questioning intelligence. He is an ironist of the void and his poems -- witty, playful, and beautifully turned -- bump up against the deepest human mysteries." The recording of his poetry, The Best Cigarette (Cielo Vivo Press, 1997), has been heard on NPR, Pacifica Radio network, and dozens of college radio stations across the country. The compact disc won the 1997 Communication Arts Design Annual Prize for Audio/Visual Packaging and has sold more than 1,000 copies.

Collins' poetry has appeared in anthologies, textbooks, and a variety of periodicals including Poetry, The American Poetry Review, The American Scholar, Harper's, The Paris Review and The New Yorker. His poems was selected for The Best American Poetry 1992, 1993 and 1997. He has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. He has also won the Bess Hokin Prize, the Frederick Bock Prize, the Oscar Blumenthal Prize, and the Levinson Prize--all awarded by Poetry magazine. In 1992 he was chosen by the New York Public Library to serve as "Literary Lion. For several years he has conducted summer poetry workshops at University College, Galway. He is poet-in-residence at Burren College of Art in Ireland and professor of English at Lehman College (CUNY).

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Cielo Vivo/ Small Good Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965887316
• ISBN-13: 978-0965887311
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,106,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glittering White Snow, October 30, 2004

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Cigarette (Audio CD)

"I suppose I might be different from previous poet laureates by kind of emphasizing the playful or even screwball aspects of poetry." ~Billy Collins

Collins was reappointed to the post of U.S. Poet Laureate in the summer of 2002. He travels throughout the country for readings, lectures and is well loved by his audiences.

Listening to Billy Collins read his poems gave me a new appreciation for his genius. His poetry increases my capacity for viewing the world on a new artistic level. While listening, I had moments of nostalgia as images danced across my mind.

In this CD, you will find many of your favorite poems from many of his published works. They include:

1. Another reason I don't keep a gun in the house - A story of a dog barking. He humorously mixes images of a barking dog solo and Beethoven.
2. Shoveling snow with the Buddha - Winter work ends with warm drinks.
3. Marginalia - An especially enjoyable poem for anyone who loves to find scribblings in books.
4. Afternoon with Irish Cows - Completely vibrant images. You can truly see the images poem.

5. Walking across the Atlantic - An imaginative journey while walking on the water. He imagines what the fish must think about the bottoms of his feet appearing, disappearing.
6. Intro - An introduction that explains the title of this CD.
7. Consolation - Written to consol himself after canceling a trip to Europe.
8. Forgetfulness - If you are over 30, this makes complete sense. An intensely comical poem that will be appreciated by anyone trying to remember the name of a book or name of the author.

9. Workshop - Newbies enjoy entertaining Billy Collins with their artistic expression.
10. Morning - Feet on a cold floor and espresso while the typewriter awaits.
11. Driving myself to a poetry reading - An analysis of his feelings as represented
in how he places himself at various points - the car hood and the backseat.
12. Wolf - A wolf reads a book of fairy tales. This is perhaps one of my favorite Billy Collins poems. I love the description of the fur bristling and how he turns each page with his nose.

13. Purity - Explains how he loves to write and drink tea. His explanation of
how he writes romantic poetry is almost an interesting insight into male sexuality.
14. The Art of Drowning - Will you really see your life flash before your eyes?
15. Nostalgia - "Remember the 1340s?" I love this poem because it is a humorous visual journey back in time.
16. Candle Hat - A poem about a Goya painting.

17. Sweetalk - Art lovers will enjoy this love poem, especially the twist at the end.
18. Instructions to the Portrait Artist - Interesting insight into the poets' love of the intellectual life.
19. Pin-up - Decadent descriptions of murky garages and mechanics.
20. Flames - Smoky the Bear with his fur gleaming in the sun.

21. Saturday Morning - Casual observations and lazy day moments.
22. The Afterlife - Secrets from the afterlife and how you go to the place you always thought you'd go. Fun idea.
23. Man in Space - Male/Female relationships.
24. Aristotle - Thoughts about a beginning, middle and an end.

25. Wires of the Night - Especially beautiful recollection about death.
26. History of Weather - Flower ruffling breezes and heat shimmering on sand. Images of clouds, rain on battlefields and snow flurries of Victorian London.
27. Best Cigarette - Remembering his days as a smoker as a lover remembers
their true love.
28. Invention of the Saxophone - Mentions a historical character from the 13th century.

29. Child Development - Fish work up irregular verbs and children work on name calling.
30. On Reading in the Morning Paper - Dreams
31.The First Dream - Wind ghosts around the house as he leans against the door of sleep.
32. Japan - Reading a favorite Haiku.

33. Thesaurus - Lover's in myths and a congregating of word relatives. I love this one because I love words and Billy Collins has an especially creative way of exploring word meanings.
34. Nightclub - My husband read this to me once and I thought it was hilarious.

Billy Collins' wry wit and his eloquent voice contribute a comical resonance. His comic timing is impeccable and I finally understood some of the humor in his poem "Consolation" about "not" touring Italy. He gives a bit of background, which changes the entire poem. By the end of this reading, he has left the audience deliriously giddy with laughter.

I love the twists at the end of his poems that instantly captures profound emotional moments. There is a casual elegance in his poems. He invites you to journey with him through the poems, although at times Collins throws in a highly imaginative sentence or an entire poem that throws you for an intellectual loop. Billy Collins vocabulary is stunning all on its own. The way he blends the words into images and colors is more than impressive.

If you are in the mood for intellectual beauty, this CD will give you a deep appreciation for laid back and artistic observations.

If you are already a Billy Collin's fan, Pittsburgh Press has issued special hardcover limited editions of three of Billy Collins' books: Questions about Angels, The Art of Drowning, and Picnic, Lightning.

~The Rebecca Review

Dedicated to Eric who found my Billy Collins book reviews and thought I'd enjoy this wonderful recording. Thank you! This was a beautiful gift.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I would prefer to give this 10 stars, September 14, 2002

By 

Annex "annexgirl" (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Cigarette (Audio CD)

Months ago, while searching through amazon, I came across this CD. I had not before heard of or read any of Billy Collins work, but since I enjoy reading poetry as well as writing it myself, I thought I would give this disk a chance, so I ordered it.

After receiving it, I listened to it for the first time in the car, while driving across the city to meet friends at a new, upscale club. I remember sitting at a stop light, and having tears run down my cheeks. Maybe it was because I happened to be in love. Maybe it was because the poem forced me to think back on days gone by. Maybe it was because I'm a romantic. But one simple line begging a pardon over egg salad stains had me wiping off the mascara that travelled downward.

Billy Collins has a way of grasping the feelings within us that we try so hard to keep under wraps. He can be funny and uplifting one moment, and shockingly poignant the next. But always, he is honest. I think it must have been the honesty that suddenly jarred my emotions.

Since purchasing this CD, I have bought several of his books. I'm hooked.

Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another window into a poet's mind, November 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best Cigarette (Audio CD)

I was charmed to see that an author I already knew I liked had made a CD of his poetry readings. Better yet, the CD contains selections of work from several of Billy Collins' collections (well, better for Billy anyway -- I ended up buying 3 or 4 books to get copies of the poems I liked the best from the CD!) Pop this CD in your car radio for a pleasant break driving to work or even on a trip. Enjoyable even for passengers who don't usually enjoy poetry, as he's amusing, insightful, and even profound. I'm glad this CD is being re-released (originally available in 1997, now listed as available in 2001).