A successful muralist, José Antonio Burciaga's importance as a poet, journalist, and humorist lies in his versatility and virtuosity with language; he writes in Spanish, English, and combinations of the two to express social criticism and his deep feelings of alienation. Francisco Lomelí and Donaldo Urioste, in their review (De Colores, 1977) of Restless Serpents (1976), say that his poetry "is powered by an incisive sense of irony with the purpose of criticizing set or ignored truths.... His critical approach becomes effective because his attacks avoid demagogic or abstract declarations." Burciaga's appeal as a writer lies in his sense of humor, which he uses to satirize the rigidity of a system still clinging to traditions of racism and discrimination. With few exceptions his themes are eminently political and social, echoing the early militant voices of poets like Ricardo Sánchez, Abelardo Barrientos Delgado, and Raymundo "Tigre" P...