--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED…" description: "\"BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS EDGAR GUEST\" — Ron Silliman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png" --- # BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS… ![“BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS EDGAR GUEST” quote by Ron Silliman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png) > “BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS EDGAR GUEST” Ron Silliman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the foundational role of lesser‑known figures before famous ones emerge **In simple terms:** Early contributors set the stage for later fame Key Takeaway Recognize and value hidden influences Themes history recognition humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary historical When to use this quote - academic research - creative collaborations - industry innovations Key Concepts cultural impact legacy Questions to Reflect On - Who are the unsung pioneers in your field? - How does acknowledging early contributors change your perspective? A Different Perspective May understate the contributions of later, more visible figures ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [“To his brother Edgar he confided, “I suffer from the usual difficulty that besets the higher commander—things can be ordered and started, but actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-his-brother-edgar-he-confided-i-suffer-from-the-usual-difficulty/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. Patients are often reluctant to admit their condition - even to close family, friends or co-workers -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-resnick/epilepsy-is-a-disease-in-the-shadows-patients-are-often-reluctant-to/) [Lynda Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-resnick/) > [I think there's a lot of, unfortunately, unfunny ventriloquists out there, so they've got a bad rap. It came after Edgar Bergen because everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-unfortunately-unfunny-ventriloquists-out/) [Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/) > [I played at White Hart Lane against Michael Carrick and Edgar Davids when I was 18.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noble/i-played-at-white-hart-lane-against-michael-carrick-and-edgar-davids/) [Mark Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noble/) > [“You know the story.” The Nalnom rotated his hand in the air as if she should recall it. “I don’t. 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In those days, vacuum tubes were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/my-first-project-was-to-build-an-ionization-gauge-control-circuit-for/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [Mike Matheny, Fernando Vina, Edgar Renteria, Mark McGwire and Darryl Kile... before he died. Those guys took me under their wing and taught me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pujols/mike-matheny-fernando-vina-edgar-renteria-mark-mcgwire-and-darryl/) [Albert Pujols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pujols/) > [Complex man that he was, J. Edgar Hoover left nothing to chance. The director shrewdly recognized that building what became known as the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-kessler/complex-man-that-he-was-j-edgar-hoover-left-nothing-to-chance-the/) [Ronald Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-kessler/) > [Edgar had a heart attack, and I'm to blame. We were making love, and I took the bag off my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/edgar-had-a-heart-attack-and-i-m-to-blame-we-were-making-love-and-i/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Edgar Allen Poe really started me when I was 8. I fell in love with everything of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/edgar-allen-poe-really-started-me-when-i-was-8-i-fell-in-love-with/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [In the Frankie Edgar fight, my eye was completely closed. I couldn't see nothing, but I was willing to keep on going. Not everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/in-the-frankie-edgar-fight-my-eye-was-completely-closed-i-couldn-t/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/man-you-should-have-seen-them-kicking-edgar-allan-poe/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Edgar Sawtelle is a boy without a voice, but his world, populated by the dogs his family breeds, is anything but silent. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalia-sofer/edgar-sawtelle-is-a-boy-without-a-voice-but-his-world-populated-by/) [Dalia Sofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalia-sofer/) ## More by Ron Silliman > [Here, for a moment, we are joined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/here-for-a-moment-we-are-joined/) Ron Silliman > [The poem is not only the point of origin for all the language and narrative arts, the poem returns us to the very social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/the-poem-is-not-only-the-point-of-origin-for-all-the-language-and/) Ron Silliman > [What's happening is the language. Not only in the usual sense of being interesting (which it is), but in the new sense that words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/what-s-happening-is-the-language-not-only-in-the-usual-sense-of-being/) Ron Silliman Explore all 4 Ron Silliman quotes ## More Edgar quotes > [“To his brother Edgar he confided, “I suffer from the usual difficulty that besets the higher commander—things can be ordered and started, but actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-his-brother-edgar-he-confided-i-suffer-from-the-usual-difficulty/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/man-you-should-have-seen-them-kicking-edgar-allan-poe/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [In the Frankie Edgar fight, my eye was completely closed. I couldn't see nothing, but I was willing to keep on going. Not everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/in-the-frankie-edgar-fight-my-eye-was-completely-closed-i-couldn-t/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [Edgar Allen Poe really started me when I was 8. I fell in love with everything of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/edgar-allen-poe-really-started-me-when-i-was-8-i-fell-in-love-with/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Edgar had a heart attack, and I'm to blame. We were making love, and I took the bag off my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/edgar-had-a-heart-attack-and-i-m-to-blame-we-were-making-love-and-i/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Complex man that he was, J. Edgar Hoover left nothing to chance. The director shrewdly recognized that building what became known as the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-kessler/complex-man-that-he-was-j-edgar-hoover-left-nothing-to-chance-the/) [Ronald Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-kessler/) > [Mike Matheny, Fernando Vina, Edgar Renteria, Mark McGwire and Darryl Kile... before he died. Those guys took me under their wing and taught me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pujols/mike-matheny-fernando-vina-edgar-renteria-mark-mcgwire-and-darryl/) [Albert Pujols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pujols/) > [My first project was to build an ionization gauge control circuit for Professor Edgar Everhart's Cockcroft-Walton accelerator. In those days, vacuum tubes were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/my-first-project-was-to-build-an-ionization-gauge-control-circuit-for/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [“What kind of dark, twisted mind preys on young women? I think it was Poe that said the death of a beautiful woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/what-kind-of-dark-twisted-mind-preys-on-young-women-i-think-it-was/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [By 1967, J. Edgar Hoover had concluded that the Black Panther Party had replaced the Communist Party as the gravest threat to national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/by-1967-j-edgar-hoover-had-concluded-that-the-black-panther-party-had/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [“You know the story.” The Nalnom rotated his hand in the air as if she should recall it. “I don’t. I’ve never heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-know-the-story-the-nalnom-rotated-his-hand-in-the-air-as-if-she/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [I played at White Hart Lane against Michael Carrick and Edgar Davids when I was 18.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noble/i-played-at-white-hart-lane-against-michael-carrick-and-edgar-davids/) [Mark Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noble/) > [I think there's a lot of, unfortunately, unfunny ventriloquists out there, so they've got a bad rap. It came after Edgar Bergen because everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-unfortunately-unfunny-ventriloquists-out/) [Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/) > [Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. Patients are often reluctant to admit their condition - even to close family, friends or co-workers -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-resnick/epilepsy-is-a-disease-in-the-shadows-patients-are-often-reluctant-to/) [Lynda Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-resnick/) > [Edgar Sawtelle is a boy without a voice, but his world, populated by the dogs his family breeds, is anything but silent. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalia-sofer/edgar-sawtelle-is-a-boy-without-a-voice-but-his-world-populated-by/) [Dalia Sofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalia-sofer/) Browse all 52 Edgar quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS EDGAR GUEST", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ron Silliman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-kooser-there-was-edgar-guest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Edgar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-kooser-there-was-edgar-guest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ron-silliman-71344_edgar_before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-koose_1188841.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS & TED KOOSER, THERE WAS EDGAR GUEST” — Ron Silliman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ron Silliman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-silliman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "BEFORE THERE WAS BILLY COLLINS &...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-kooser-there-was-edgar-guest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silliman/before-there-was-billy-collins-ted-kooser-there-was-edgar-guest/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```