Ben Lerner, who the New York Times Magazine has called "the most talented writer of his generation," is the author of seven previous books of poetry and prose, as well as collaborations with visual artists. The poems in The Lights are in conversation with-and often contain the seeds of-his acclaimed essays and novels. The recipient of fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundations, Lerner has been a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is a Distinguished Professor of English at Brooklyn College.