Howard Altmann came from New York
to participate in yesterday's 50th anniversary
benefit, An Afternoon with Billy Collins and Friends.
Those of you who were there, let's see a show of hands.
How many were there?
A lot of you.
I thought so.
Those of you who were there know that he read beautifully poems
by Natasha Trethewey, Wislawa Szymborska, and Howard Moss.
And he's with us tonight to read his own work.
Howard is the author of two books of poems, Who Collects
the Days and In This House.
And they're available for sale in the Poetry Center library,
and he'll be happy to sign them for you after the reading.
We also happen to have carrot cake
and lemonade tonight, so another reason to go on over
to the library afterwards.
Howard was born in Montreal, but has spent the last two
decades in New York City.
He has a background in business, and in addition
to being a poet, he's also a playwright.
And he's just-- he has a children's book in process now.
Howard's poetry has been called essential, mysterious,
transformational.
All hallmarks of an accomplished lyric poet.
He has a finely tuned ear and a keen sensitivity
to the natural and urban worlds he inhabits.
And I'm as eager as I'm sure you are to hear
what he'll read for us tonight.
Please welcome him, Howard Altmann.