WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.500 align:middle line:90%


00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:13.528 align:middle line:90%
Good afternoon.

00:00:13.528 --> 00:00:15.170 align:middle line:84%
Good afternoon,
ladies and gentlemen.

00:00:15.170 --> 00:00:18.130 align:middle line:84%
I'm Robert Shelton, and
on behalf of all of us

00:00:18.130 --> 00:00:19.960 align:middle line:84%
here at the University
of Arizona--

00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:23.080 align:middle line:84%
our faculty, our students,
our staff, all of us--

00:00:23.080 --> 00:00:25.870 align:middle line:84%
welcome, and thank you
for joining us here

00:00:25.870 --> 00:00:29.620 align:middle line:84%
to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the UA Poetry

00:00:29.620 --> 00:00:30.430 align:middle line:90%
Center.

00:00:30.430 --> 00:00:33.850 align:middle line:84%
I want to express, first
of all, my gratitude to all

00:00:33.850 --> 00:00:37.600 align:middle line:84%
of you for the support that you
have given throughout the year,

00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.840 align:middle line:84%
and of course today, in coming
to this benefit for the Poetry

00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:41.800 align:middle line:90%
Center.

00:00:41.800 --> 00:00:44.530 align:middle line:84%
I also want to thank the
distinguished individuals

00:00:44.530 --> 00:00:46.870 align:middle line:84%
on stage, and I'll
say a little bit more

00:00:46.870 --> 00:00:49.370 align:middle line:90%
about Billy Collins in a minute.

00:00:49.370 --> 00:00:51.730 align:middle line:84%
David Fitzsimmons
we all know well.

00:00:51.730 --> 00:00:56.290 align:middle line:84%
Howard Altmann, Jennifer
Carrell, Ernesto Portillo Jr.

00:00:56.290 --> 00:00:58.460 align:middle line:84%
Let's thank them
again for coming.

00:00:58.460 --> 00:01:01.370 align:middle line:90%
[APPLAUSE]

00:01:01.370 --> 00:01:07.190 align:middle line:90%


00:01:07.190 --> 00:01:11.940 align:middle line:84%
I think it is deeply meaningful
that for this 50th anniversary

00:01:11.940 --> 00:01:15.180 align:middle line:84%
community celebration, we return
to the same stage from which

00:01:15.180 --> 00:01:18.930 align:middle line:84%
Robert Frost read after he
dedicated the Ruth Stephan

00:01:18.930 --> 00:01:23.550 align:middle line:90%
Poetry Center in 1960.

00:01:23.550 --> 00:01:25.980 align:middle line:84%
A thought or two, and I promise
I'll be brief, because you

00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:27.000 align:middle line:90%
didn't come to hear me.

00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:28.980 align:middle line:84%
You came to hear the
talent on my right.

00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:31.730 align:middle line:90%


00:01:31.730 --> 00:01:34.850 align:middle line:84%
The University of Arizona
is extraordinarily

00:01:34.850 --> 00:01:38.900 align:middle line:84%
fortunate in many ways,
and one is the fact

00:01:38.900 --> 00:01:41.390 align:middle line:90%
that we are located in Tucson.

00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:44.210 align:middle line:84%
We're celebrating
our 125th anniversary

00:01:44.210 --> 00:01:45.770 align:middle line:84%
of the founding of
this university,

00:01:45.770 --> 00:01:49.520 align:middle line:84%
and many, if not all of you
know the humble beginnings.

00:01:49.520 --> 00:01:52.430 align:middle line:84%
But as I came here a
little over four years ago,

00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:55.520 align:middle line:84%
realizing what a
privilege it was,

00:01:55.520 --> 00:01:59.960 align:middle line:84%
I confess I had no idea how this
marvelous community of Tucson

00:01:59.960 --> 00:02:04.250 align:middle line:84%
embraces the university
overall, and the Poetry

00:02:04.250 --> 00:02:07.050 align:middle line:90%
Center in particular.

00:02:07.050 --> 00:02:09.150 align:middle line:84%
It's very important for
the University of Arizona

00:02:09.150 --> 00:02:12.090 align:middle line:90%
to connect with the community.

00:02:12.090 --> 00:02:14.100 align:middle line:84%
In spite of what some
people might say, no,

00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:17.020 align:middle line:90%
it's not all through athletics.

00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:21.400 align:middle line:84%
In fact, I would say the
deep and lasting connections

00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:27.250 align:middle line:84%
that come between the university
and the communities of Tucson

00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:31.180 align:middle line:84%
come about through
programs and structures

00:02:31.180 --> 00:02:34.150 align:middle line:84%
like the University of
Arizona Poetry Center.

00:02:34.150 --> 00:02:36.940 align:middle line:84%
So I personally am
deeply indebted to all

00:02:36.940 --> 00:02:39.880 align:middle line:84%
of those who have
made this center

00:02:39.880 --> 00:02:41.120 align:middle line:90%
a reality over the years.

00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:46.540 align:middle line:84%
And of course, have made its new
home a reality most recently.

00:02:46.540 --> 00:02:49.240 align:middle line:84%
Let me say a little bit
about Billy Collins,

00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:52.600 align:middle line:84%
and then I'll step off the
stage for the real program.

00:02:52.600 --> 00:02:56.260 align:middle line:84%
Billy Collins is nothing short
of an American phenomenon.

00:02:56.260 --> 00:02:58.990 align:middle line:84%
No poet since Robert
Frost has managed

00:02:58.990 --> 00:03:03.190 align:middle line:84%
to combine high critical
acclaim with such broad, popular

00:03:03.190 --> 00:03:05.080 align:middle line:90%
appeal.

00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:08.500 align:middle line:84%
Billy Collins was appointed the
United States Poet Laureate,

00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:12.040 align:middle line:84%
he served in that
capacity in 2001 to 2003.

00:03:12.040 --> 00:03:16.330 align:middle line:84%
In January 2004, he was named
New York State Poet Laureate.

00:03:16.330 --> 00:03:20.250 align:middle line:90%
He served from 2004 to 2006.

00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:22.000 align:middle line:84%
He is a distinguished
professor of English

00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.440 align:middle line:84%
at Lehman College in the
City University of New York,

00:03:24.440 --> 00:03:27.940 align:middle line:84%
as well as Senior Distinguished
Fellow of the Winter Park

00:03:27.940 --> 00:03:30.820 align:middle line:90%
Institute of Rollins College.

00:03:30.820 --> 00:03:34.425 align:middle line:84%
He has published eight
collections of poetry,

00:03:34.425 --> 00:03:35.800 align:middle line:84%
and his newest
book, a collection

00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:38.200 align:middle line:84%
of poems entitled
Horoscopes for the Dead

00:03:38.200 --> 00:03:41.440 align:middle line:84%
will be published
in the spring 2011.

00:03:41.440 --> 00:03:44.550 align:middle line:84%
Please join me in
welcoming Billy Collins.

00:03:44.550 --> 00:03:47.000 align:middle line:90%