Billy Collins performs "The Introduction"

This performance comes from the very first Page Meets Stage pairing of Billy Collins and Taylor Mali on November 12, 2005, back when the series was called Page vs. Stage. The footage was shot and edited under the direction of Chad Anderson. A version of this poem was published in "The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems" (Random House, 2007) ISBN-13: 978-0375755217.

[@taylormali]

Please know that I am not yawning as Billy is starting his poem (although I woke up in Copenhagen that morning and had been traveling all day to get to the reading, the biggest of my LIFE!), but already laughing to myself. I love this poem.

[@NicholasMustelin666]

Hilarious! Like a presentation where you first say what you're gonna say, then you say it, and finally you say what you just have said. Except in this poem he never gets past saying what he's about to say. Right?
Reminds me kinda of that dry British humor or humour that I love!!!

[@MOOSEHEADstadia2024]

Love it. Thanks!

[@fantastischfish]

I just love his dry sense of humour. I really want to use some of his poems in my classes, but some of the students don't quite understand his dry delivery yet. They LOVE your stuff though Taylor.

[@CleverDjembe]

LOL