{"product_id":"the-apple-that-astonished-paris-poems-9781557288233","title":"The Apple That Astonished Paris: Poems","description":"\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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Arkansas Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/01\/2006\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781557288233\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 74\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.23lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.52h x 5.08w x 0.26d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eUniv PR Books for Public Libry\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2007 pg. 1 - Strongly Recommended\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Billy Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43291185512629,"sku":"9781557288233","price":16.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_0d57b6e6-1ded-499b-89b2-25b3c6781c54.jpg?v=1700541729","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-apple-that-astonished-paris-poems-9781557288233","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}