Ron Padgett reads from Pink Dust

Ron Padgett’s new book of poems, Pink Dust, is a book I like holding. It’s not too small, but small enough to carry in your coat pocket. You can take it along and it doesn’t slow you down.

Pink Dust is published by New York Review Books, the same publisher that put out Ron’s translation of Apollinaire, Zone, a few years ago, another book that I enjoy reading and holding. I have to say three cheers for New York Review Books at this point for putting out such comfortable readable lovely books.

When good poets get old, they can do with a gesture what once took a thrust and a flourish, and get down to the essence, everything simpler and the vision, in its simplicity, so much truer to behold. Now don’t get me wrong, Ron Padgett has always been a worthy poet, but this charming little yellow book of short short-lined poems is easy to read but not forget. I’ve been rereading with a smile and a tug at my heart.

In the Vimeo below, the poet reads from Pink Dust at The Poetry Project. Enjoy.

What follows are five poems from Pink Dust that are read in the Vimeo. The first two are the first two in the book.

Pink Dust is published by New York Review Books. You can check it out here:

https://www.nyrb.com/products/pink-dust

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Here is the whole Poetry Project reading on March 12, 2025, Ron Padgett reading from Dick: A Memoir and Pink Dust:

And check out this Apollinaire!

Le Pont Mirabeau read by Guillaume Apollinaire and translated by Ron Padgett