Billy Collins, "Re-Interviewed"

Phone conversation yesterday:

BSR: Hello?

BC: This is Billy Collins. I got your message about Tuesday.

BSR: Sorry?

BC: You left me a message that today would be a good time to talk, for our interview?

BSR: Umm, actually we did that interview a few weeks ago.

BC: Oh, sorry. Your message just came through today.

BSR: It's nice hearing from you, anyway.

BC: Did we have a nice interview?

BSR: Yes, yes we did.

BC: Well, thanks then. Bye.

Does this mean you've arrived when Poets Laureate call your house when you aren't expecting them to, or does it just prove he really could use a vacation?

I'm going with the former.

Comments

[Susan Balée]

Phone interviews are just weird anyway. I interviewed Eric Idle ("Monty Python") in late Jan. when he was in the back of a limo headed for Vegas and his cell phone kept shorting out. Plus, his comments would be punctuated with, "I say, John, look at that!" (John DuPrez, his composer on "Spamalot" was with him, and they were driving through a car accident -- so he finally told me as I had no clue what was distracting him.)

It was a horrible interview, natch. My best interview, however, was with Ted Kooser (our last poet laureate). Reason? We've been friends and correspondents for over twenty years and I *love* his poetry. That one was a breeze: A good conversation between old friends.

What have your best and worst interviews been, Lisa?

[Bluestalking Reader]

Susan, when he first told me who it was I of course naturally assumed he was calling to say, "Would you write my biography?" which of course I'd think about and seriously consider. Then I realized he'd called me BY MISTAKE so of course I felt all that much more honored.., ;-)

[Susan Balée]

Too funny!

[Bluestalking Reader]

Andi, this was one of the weirdest things that's happened to me in a while. Well, at least this month... ;-) I was just putting away laundry, la di da, and the next thing I know Billy Collins is on the phone. The gods enjoy messing with me, so I'm just chalking this up to another one of those moments.

[Andi]

And I love the "literary oddities" tag you applied to this post. There's no better way to say it, that's for sure!