Cast Your Mind Back

     Who is the most famous poet in America these days? It depends on how you define your terms. If hip-hop is poetry, one could nominate Eminem or Kayne or Kendrick Lamar. A focus on sales would lead us to consider Rupi Kaur, who caught the world's attention as an Instagram poet and then sold 2.5 million books. (Her latest project is a "poetry special" filmed in Los Angeles.) People who think poets should have academic credentials might point to Robert Pinksy, a college prof and former U.S. Poet Laureate who also managed to snag a guest spot on The Simpsons. But if it were necessary to come up with a consensus candidate, the winner might be Billy Collins.

What's not to like?

 
     Collins also is a college professor who served as U.S. Poet Laureate -- but, unlike a lot of versifiers, he knows how to be funny. This might explain why his readings are packed and publishers write him six-figure checks.
     Here's a sample of Collins and his drollery called "Nostalgia." It seems appropriate for this odd time we occupy, when it's hard not to yearn for the halcyon days of...uh, ten weeks ago.