This book is a delight. The sampling of Villa's experimental and visionary work is good. The memoirs and essays at the end of the book are superb. One writer wonders why Villa does not appear in contemporary anthologies of modernist and postmodernist anthologies and posits the "otherness" of Villa as Philippine-American as the cause. I agree, but also suggest that Villa's "wrestling with God" in the sense that Hopkins and the 17th c. Metaphysicals did, did not endear him to the decidedly secular critics of the latter half of the 20th c. This book also includes short stories and Villa's own criticism as well. Deign of the book is good, and the title poem is worth the price of admission alone.

The Anchored Angel has just been awarded PEN-Oakland's Josephine Miles National Literary Award. This is from PEN-Oakland's Press Release:

National in scope, the PEN-Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Awards represent a new perception of multicultural literature that does not seek its validation from the literary establishment, but creates its own standards and models of literature. PEN Oakland, a Bay Area chapter of the International Organization of Poets, Essayists and Novelists was founded in 1989 to address multicultural issues and educate the public as to the nature of multicultural work. [Its] award winning authors address the diversity and uniqueness of American culture, and represent the new voices of American literature.

From a review by Jean Gier for The International Examinder's PACIFIC READER:

(Villa's) poetry surprised me; the language was stunning, singular; not like any other poetry I had ever read, although it reminded me of Lorca, Dickinson, and even Gertrude Stein. It is an often disturbing poetry that seems torn between a 16th century lyrical mysticism, and an almost violent modernism...

The Anchored Angel is a moving tribute to an artist whose work deserves much more attention. Perhaps even more important, this edition begins to fill in the gaps of knowledge about this author, the impact of his work and critical thought...and its literary significance to modernist writing in the United States, as well as the Philippines.