One Moment: Poems

by Luis Muñoz, Garth Greenwell, Idra Novey (Primary Contributor)

From “one of the most brilliant poets of his generation” (El Pais, Madrid) Spanish poet Luis Muñoz’s debut North American collection, translated by Idra Novey and Garth Greenwell.

Sweet, surreal, and haunting, these poems examine both the frictions and elusiveness that can occur between self and others. The slowing down of time, the gentle observation of sunlight like “golden cookies on the bedspread” as you lie next to a lover. The feeling of solitude rendering you as small and still as a garbanzo bean, yearning as much for water and light as to continue being left alone.

Luis Muñoz is a beloved and critically acclaimed Spanish poet and One Moment marks his American debut. The poems within are presented in their original Spanish and in English, translated by acclaimed writers and translators Idra Novey and Garth Greenwell.

Formally inventive, at turns playful and strange, One Moment moves a kaleidoscopic eye from friends to lovers, one place to another, one moment to the next, the finite to the infinite. These are poems that delight in all the senses, and in the movement of the world around us.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 12, 2026

Reviews

[Mai H.]

National Poetry Month TBR

📖 Thank you to Goodreads and Washington Square Press

[emma renee]

This is a wonderful collection of poems, including the original work in Spanish and the translated work alongside it.

Some poems were more simple and others more complex, but they were all lusciously descriptive and served a clear purpose. Even the more straightforward poems made me think and didn't feel pointless.

I speak some Spanish and read what I could from the original poems and then read the English translations afterwards - and I found both to supplement each other well.

My favorite was The Quietudes, but some honorable mentions include Approximation and Love.

I would highly recommend picking this one up when it publishes in May. Thank you so much to Washington Square Press for mailing me an early copy!

[Taylor Franson-Thiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely collection and great translations. Great breadth between the simple and subtle and intimate.

[Amanda Toomey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would more accurately be described as a collection of shower thoughts and strange ideas. It's modern poetry without meter or rhyme or any other pattern I could distinguish to classify it as "poetry" but until we've created a new term for these types of literary works, we're stuck at poetry. That is not why I gave it this rating.

* Good: There are some interesting thoughts here and some descriptive imagery being described that gives a clear picture of what the author was intending. I like the side-by-side over a translation only and believe it will be useful for those learning Spanish/English who are looking for something outside a textbook to practice with.
* Not-so-good: The line breaks don't make any sense and make it difficult to read, especially when they're excessive. The grammar/punctuation isn't used consistently, sometimes sentences just end without conclusion in phrasing nor in punctuation and the next line is unrelated. This may be an error on the part of the translator, but as I'm only a novice at Spanish, I can't judge it's grammatical quality.
*Bad: Half of these make no sense at all and amount to a seemingly random jumble of words/phrases without a cohesive theme. Section 2, in particular, was difficult to read because of this.

**I received this as a GoodReads giveaway.**

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost I wanna thank Atria Books for gifting me the ARC of One Moment by Luis Muñoz on what I believe is his American debut.

This collection of poems give us a peek into life through the lens of carefully curated moments that seem to extend into a glimmering eternity. A work that is concise, assertive and filled with rambunctious luminosity that felt like a much needed respite from the world. With surgical precision, Luis Muñoz crafts verse after verse so electrically charged he leaves you wanting much more. Going through the pages looking for the spark and finding it each time as every one of the works contained in this book do not disappoint.

I have to say I read this collection four times, two in Spanish and two in English, just because I found it beautiful, refreshing, intimate and terrific. This is my first time reading Luis Muñoz poetry and I can say it won’t be the last. His poetic voice never misses a beat as he guides you through a range of feelings, emotions and sensations that will intrigue and confound you. But by end you will be able to feel the weight of his work clicking and see the fine line weaving every poem together.

I’m giving this one 5/5 stars. And just recommend it to everyone, who like me, loves short but striking poetry. I can’t wait to dive into more of his work.

[boundbyjaida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Thank you Netgalley, Atria and Washington Square Press for this ARC!

This collection immediately brings the reader into the togetherness— or rather connectedness we see the speakers engage in. At the same time there is an emphasis on solitude and connection with the self.

The reader will be able to see the motif of change and the focus on a specific moment in time that the poet paints through intense imagery.

Muñoz is intentional and explicit with his descriptions. The collection translates beautifully between the languages of English and Spanish. I couldn’t help but read poems in both languages, and they complimented one another.

Greenwell and Novey did an amazing job in encompassing the beauty of Spanish and Muñoz’s own use of language.

We need more translated poetry. This is truly a collection that makes that clear!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m loving reading more poetry! One Moment by Luis Muñoz translated from the Spanish by Idra Novey and Garth Greenwell is an enjoyable collection of poems. I really appreciated that the original Spanish poems are included. I liked the moments discussing time and nature. I loved these lines in Reading a Fourteenth-Century Poem Together: “It dawns, it dusks, and above all it afternoons endlessly,” and my fave poem in this book is Like a Cylinder. I’d be interested to read reviews from readers who could read both the Spanish and English poems.

Thank you to Washington Square Press via NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Brianas.bookhaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read some poems. Honestly, I missed them. I love that each poem was in Spanish but also translated to English. I did enjoy trying to see if my Spanish skills from high school kicked in. Sadly, it didn’t, but I was able to understand some. But of course, I then rushed to the translated side to get it all.

My favorite poems in here were Sooner Than Later, & Love.

Thank you Atria Books for the copy.

[Rhiley Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

An artfully written short bilingual poetry collection focused on train-of-thought and love poems.

I really, really enjoyed this collection! It was a breath of fresh air with all of its short, sweet poems. Not too modern ("Modern" as in using grotesque language that sounds rather childish, which I've seen some poets do-) or trying too hard.

They were all a delight!

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

[thecostaricanreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection of poems. Very different from other poetry books I have recently read. I liked how the author describes places and feelings and actions in a very suited way. I also loved how these poems make you reflect and truly look at them, not just read them but truly pay attention to what they want to tells us.

[Mandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
Thoughtful, emotive, rich and yet succinct. Poetry for a moment and poetry for a lifetime.

Thank you Goodreads for the ARC of this book of poetry!

[Alecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful words!

[Ambi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Muñoz’s poetry and I am blown away. With lush prose, vivid imagery, and unique metaphor, One Moment is a collection I’ll return to again and again and no doubt come away with something new each time. I especially loved that this collection had a large variety of poetry—whether it was the succinct and stunning verses like CH., Y., and O., or a longer, sweeping poem like Sooner Than Later or Half Sleep of the Vegetable Patch, there’s something for every poetry lover in this collection. This is a triumph of a translation and I look forward to reading more of Muñoz’s work in the future.

—Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Washington Square Press for the advanced copy!