Billy Collins is all in your face, again

Billy Collins is oft-maligned by younger hipper poets (like, you know, my friends) for his "celebrity" status in the poetry world (and I say that knowing there is no such thing). While I agree that Collins can get nearly anything he writes published, good or no, on name alone these days, I think much of the derision aimed at him is misguided. He is not a great poet, true, but he's a good poet - solidly good. And if that means we see a little too much of his name splashed about, well, too bad.

And what do you know? Here he is in the New York Times. Janet Maslin takes a look at his latest collection of poems, Ballistics. "Accuse Billy Collins of fanciful charm if you must, but never say that he fails to give reality its due," she says.

A fair assesment, I think.