Painted Bunting's Last Molt

Virgil Suárez is the author of four novels, a collection of stories, two memoirs, and eight poetry collections, and he has coedited two anthologies with his wife, Delia Poey. Most recently he has published an anthology of Latino poetry titled Paper Dance.

“Virgil Suárez continues to sing the eternal songs of family and folklore, tragedy and triumph, elegy and hope in this brilliant collection that captures the psyche of immigrant, exile, and refugee. I continue to be inspired by his work that has mentored me for years, and still speaks to me and our collective identity as a nation still struggling to live up to our motto, out of the many, one.”—Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet and author of How to Love a Country“Virgil Suárez is a poet of mythic powers. In The Painted Bunting’s Last Molt, his myth-making infuses glorious poems of longing, love, and loss. Suárez’s poetry is as profound as the sea he calls upon, tragic and wistful as all that is lost to the sea. He is adept at dredging history, politics, memory, dreams, and the complexities of birdsong, never resorting to sentimentality or easy answers as he questions everything, even the moon: ‘Is it the one eye / of an indifferent God that remains open just so?’ Suárez is by turns savvy and quick-witted, and ultimately wise.”—Denise Duhamel“Virgil Suárez’s The Painted Bunting’s Last Molt is a strong, vibrant, big-hearted book, as well-crafted, sensuous, and rich as a fine Cuban cigar—and good for you!  It’s been about 15 years since Virgil Suárez’s last collection of poems. The Painted Bunting’s Last Molt marks his triumphant return.”—Charles Harper Webb