From the Restless Roots

by Ray Gonzalez

Ray González's first full-length collection of poetry explores the landscapes of the Southwest and those of the psyche, in the tradition of Walt Whitman and Antonio Machado. "Few poets can lay so much between the lines and still produce a poem that makes sense on the first reading. But then, that is what poetry is all about" (San Antonio Express-News.)

Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

The work of award-winning poet and editor Ray Gonzalez is inextricably linked to his Mexican ancestry and his American southwestern upbringing. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Gonzalez has employed Chicano imagery in his poetry, oftentimes alluding to America's indigenous past, and particularly to the southwestern desert cultures. Gonzalez has published several collections of his poetry and has served as editor of several anthologies of writings, most of which emphasize the contributions of Chicano authors to the literary scene. These anthologies, including 1998's Touching the Fire: Fifteen Poets of Today's Latino Renaissance, provide a medium for many up-and-coming Latino writers to get their work to the public.