Horoscopes For the Dead.

Billy Collins was appointed Poet Laureate of the U.S. from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York, the Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Winter Park Institute, Florida, and the recognized Literary Lion of the New York Public Library (1992), being selected as the New York State Poet for 2004-2006. These are partial to his other 10 awards and titles. Collins' awards are prestigious but so is his ability to remain humble despite them. For instance, Collins wrote the poem The Names at a special joint session of the United States Congress in 2002 to remember the vicitims of 9/11 attacks despite that he was not required as U.S. Poet Laureate to do so. He vowed not to include the poem in any of his books so as not to capitalize on the 9/11 attacks.