In 1988 the University of Arkansas Press published Billy Collins's The Apple That Astonished Paris, his "e;first real book of poems,"e; as he describes it in a new, delightful preface written expressly for this new printing to help celebrate both the Press's twenty-fifth anniversary and this book, one of the Press's all-time best sellers. In his usual witty and dry style, Collins writes, "e;I gathered together what I considered my best poems and threw them in the mail."e; After "e;what seemed like a very long time"e; Press director Miller Williams, a poet as well, returned the poems to him in the "e;familiar self-addressed, stamped envelope."e; He told Collins that there was good work here but that there was work to be done before he'd have a real collection he and the Press could be proud of: "e;Williams's words were more encouragement than I had ever gotten before and more than enough to inspire me to begin taking my writing more seriously than I had before."e; This collection includes some of Collins's most anthologized poems, including "e;Introduction to Poetry,"e; "e;Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House,"e; and "e;Advice to Writers."e; Its success over the years is testament to Collins's talent as one of our best poets, and as he writes in the preface, "e;this new edition . is a credit to the sustained vibrancy of the University of Arkansas Press and, I suspect, to the abiding spirit of its former director, my first editorial father."e;.