Celebrated poet returns to Orillia

Leacock Museum presents Billy Collins
Orillia Opera House – Saturday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m.

When poet Billy Collins takes the stage at the Orillia Opera House in August, it will be a homecoming of sorts. But in a way, he has never been far from the hearts and minds of his many admirers in Orillia.

As a boy, paddling along the shoreline at the old Leacock place on Brewery Bay in Orillia, Billy Collins may not have thought about a career in the world of arts and letters. 

Even if it was on his radar as a teenager, few would ever imagine that that same shy boy, a stranger from somewhere out of town, would become the most celebrated and accomplished poet of his day and among his many honours, wear the mantle of Poet Laureate of the United States.

“We’ve had the pleasure of hosting many distinguished poets and authors here at the Leacock Museum, hundreds in fact,” said Fred Addis, curator and manager at the Orillia-based museum. “But Billy Collins has long held a standing invitation here and we’re so pleased he’s able to come this summer.”

Born in New York in 1941, Collins spent many a summer in Orillia visiting family. His uncle, developer John D. McIsaac was Mayor of Orillia in the 1950’s and was instrumental in shepherding the acquisition of the Leacock property through Orillia Town Council.  Two Orillia streets, Collins Drive and McIsaac Drive, today stand tribute to their families.

Collins credits his mother, Katherine Collins (née McIsaac) with instilling in him an appreciation of what we now call the spoken word.  Without any provocation she would call forth the lines of epic poems and recite them to her only child with an enthusiasm and spirit that sent the unmistakable message: words were important and those who crafted their words into poetry were to be highly esteemed. 

Collins will take the stage at the Orillia Opera House in the main Lightfoot Auditorium on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. The hour-long program will feature Collins reading from his selected works including his latest collection Aimless Love. The reading will be followed by a short question and answer period.

Billy Collins is the author of ten collections of poetry, including Horoscopes for the Dead, The Trouble with Poetry and Sailing Alone Around the Room.  He is also the editor of Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry, 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day, and Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds.

A Distinguished Professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York, and Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Winter Park Institute of Rollins College, he was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003 and Poet Laureate of New York State from 2004 to 2006.

Orillia-based independent bookseller Manticore Books will feature several of Collins’ titles for sale at the event and Collins will be available for signing immediately following the program.

Tickets go on sale May 5 and are $24 for adults and $18 for students, plus a service charge and applicable taxes. All proceeds benefit the Leacock Museum.

For tickets, please call the Orillia Opera House Box Office at 705-326-8011, or 1-888-ORILLIA, or purchase tickets online at orilliaoperahouse.ca.

All proceeds from this event benefit the Leacock Museum.

The Leacock Museum and the Orillia Opera House are wholly owned and operated by the City of Orillia, Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.

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Fred Addis
Curator, Leacock Museum National Historic Site
705-329-1908
faddis@leacockmuseum.com