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.

—Tomaž Šalamun