How Long

2012 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry (Finalist)

"An enchanting collection of poems that juggle delight, wit and endless fascination with language."—2012 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry Jurors

“Padgett’s sense of romantic joy is undiminished, as is his thoughtfulness about language and the ways in which time changes meaning, and sense can morph into eloquent absurdity.” –Entertainment Weekly

“What sets Padgett apart from other accessible, humorous poets is his willingness to become both difficult and serious when a poem requires it. . . . Padgett’s complexity lies in his ability to depart from a thought as soon as he introduces it (the poem “Death,” for instance, begins, “Let’s change the subject”), a strategy of which he is never unconscious: “What was I thinking about/ a few minutes ago when/ another thought / swept me away?” It is these instances, in which Padgett uses his poems to help piece together his recollections, that give this collection its vulnerability and sincerity.”—Publishers Weekly

"Padgett's poems are so playful, self-mocking and eager to please that it would be easy to overlook their craft, not to mention the depth and sincerity of the emotions they convey. What animates How Long is the tension between the buoyancy of its language and the gravity of its subject." —The Washington Post

Praise for Ron Padgett:
“Reading Padgett one realizes that playfulness and lightness of touch are not at odds with seriousness. . . . As is often the case, leave it to the comic writer to best convey our tragic predicament.” —Charles Simic, New York Review of Books