Twice Removed

Just as Richard Diebenkorn defined Los Angeles for me in his paintings, so too has Ralph Angel defined that city in his remarkable poetry.  And I am amazed by the timeless and universal quality of his work.  He brings something ancient and compelling —from Andalusia through Rhodes and Constantinople, through the Pacific Northwest— that we recognize as a kind of rare Sephardic wisdom, a brilliance traveling at the speed of Los Angeles light.  He is one of America’s very best poets.  A true visionary.

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