Bill Murray, Kay Ryan Open Poets House

At last night's private party to open Poets House -- the public celebrations begin today (with bagels at 11) and continue Saturday (with readings from 3-5 p.m. outdoors featuring Billy Collins, Mark Doty, Philip Levine and many others) -- the program included poet laureate Kay Ryan and actor and longtime supporter of Poet's House Bill Murray. A lot of poetry was read at this brand-new poetry paradise located in Battery Park City.

Bill Murray read: "Halley's Comet" by Stanley Kunitz and "Eternity" by Jason Shinder. (He was also shown in a video, reading to the construction workers who built Poets House as they took a break from their work. His selections included Billy Collins and "what's that girl's name again?" Emily Dickinson. "They get worse so if you want to lie down and get sick, do it now," he warned them between poems. Afterward he stood with workers in front of the camera as they said their name and their job.)

Kay Ryan read her "Stardust," "Lighthouse Keeping" and others. (Read the Sun's article on Kay Ryan's appointment as U.S. Poet Laureate, by Adam Kirsch, here.)

Here are two pix from the evening:

It was a poetic, blue ribbon-cutting: Poet's House executive director Lee Briccetti along with Kay Ryan, Bill Murray, and Poet's House president emerita Margo Viscusi.

Note the signature of the Sun's celebrated Knickerbocker columnist, and, of course, that of Bill Murray's.