On Monday night, America’s 15th ever poet laureate Charles Simic read a selection of his poems from all periods of his career. The reading, which took place in Titmus Theatre, was enjoyed by a packed house of poetry enthusiasts, including a who’s who of distinguished faculty members and students involved in Creative Writing at State.

Simic is the author of nearly 30 books of poetry and memoirs, and is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. He has also won numerous awards for his poetry, including the Wallace Stevens Award, the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and the MacArthur Fellowship.

Simic was introduced by English professor and Poet-in-Residence John Balaban, himself a distinguished poet and two-time National Book Award Nominee. When introducing Simic, Balaban referenced a recent article by Tony Judt from the New York Review of Books about “edge” people, or those that are hard to define or package neatly into a certain identity.

“(Simic) is one of my favorite poets,” Balaban said, after the reading. “His poems are so well made, that if you miss any part, it doesn’t have the same effect. He’s just so quiet and clever.”

Simic’s hour-long reading consisted of introductions to each poem, followed by an understated and rather quiet reading of each one. He began with “Shelley,” a poem that he wrote in 1990, but that takes place in 1958, during a time in his life that Simic described as uneventful. He had recently moved from Chicago to New York City, and knowing no one, frequented bookstores and turned to books for comfort.

“I was working small jobs, not making much money,” Simic said. “Nothing particularly interesting happened so I never thought about those periods. I didn’t know anyone, and it was very lonely. You usually only remember stuff like falling in love.”

After reading “Shelley,” and then “Factory,” Simic stumbled during a reading of “Paradise,” and immediately apologized to the audience. He explained that he was remembering the images in the poem, and what it felt like to be there, and it distracted him.

“Like when I was reading ‘Shelley,’ Simic said, “I started remembering the image of that man crucified on a lamppost, and stumbled a little. It was what you call, an involuntary memory.” Simic was referring to a couple lines from the poem – “A man leaned against a lamppost, arms extended as if crucified / The rain washing the blood off his face.”

Simic also read “In a Library,” “Evening Walk,” “Country Fair,” “Ghosts,” and “Unmade Beds,” among others. Before reading “The Emperors,” Simic described himself as a “lifelong insomniac.”

“I try not to be,” Simic said, “but I can’t help it. Staring at the ceiling all night.”

Before “Mummy’s Curse,” Simic described a year in which five movies were released with “mummy” in the title, back in 1939. Then, as an introduction to “Sunday Papers,” he said, “As you know, there’s nothing more depressing than reading Sunday papers.” The audience laughed softly at this, before buckling down to enjoy more stories of Simic’s understated exploits.

Savannah Murphy, a junior in creative writing, said that the show brought her closer to the world of published writing. “It was interesting.” Murphy said, “I’ve taken a couple poetry classes, but it’s different when it’s in a book. But when you actually attach a face to the work, it seems more possible to create poetry. Like it’s a living, breathing person creating it.”

After the show, the mood in the theatre was one of exhilaration. Simic proceeded to the lobby to sign books and answer questions, and a long line formed immediately.

“There’s nothing quite like him in the U.S.,” said Balaban. “But at the same time, as good as he is, he’s so subtle that you could see how he might never have become as famous as he is.”

Simic’s newest book of poems will be released later this year, and according to Simic, it doesn’t have a particular theme or premise. “It’s just a collection of poems I’ve written over the course of a couple of years,” Simic said. “That’s what most of my books have been.”