The poetry of current United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins magnifies and glorifies the most humble daydreams and meandering trains of thought, unfolding them into stories about the neighbor’s dog infiltrating a Beethoven symphony, or unwavering meditations on life itself. State of the Arts catches up with him at the 2002 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry event in North America, for a conversation about his work, and a chance to hear him read it.

Billy Collins’ web site: www.bigsnap.com/poet.html
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival web site: www.grdodge.org/poetry/

On the outskirts of Trenton, in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, is an oasis of large-scale sculpture made by world-class artists nested in outlandish environments, landscapes and architecture. It’s called Grounds for Sculpture, and this year it’s celebrating its 10th anniversary. State of the Arts delves into the inner-workings of this sculpture park, guided by its founder J. Seward Johnson, Jr., as well as some other artists at work.
groundsforsculpture.org