Yes, APL is an excellent language but suitable for prototyping only (imho). Here a sample for Conways game of life in APL:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=a9xAKttWgP4&fmt=18

Something something subset Lisp.

I like the cut of your jib, however: I believe APL actually exposes you to an even higher(est) order of abstraction which makes you truly confront the meat of the problem space/algorithm v.s. allowing for a few sessions of syntax abstraction before you get down to business. Believe me I LOVE lisp, but I also recognize that many times I enjoy it because it allows me to create these amazingly succinct domain specific languages before ever "getting to work". When I attempt to write/think something in APL I find myself actually just pondering the problem. It was the language in which I realized math was my true (and neglected) love.

Also: http://archive.vector.org.uk/art10500180 - great article on array languages for lisp programmers.

Thank you for explaining the conceptual framework APL provides. My comment was merely poking a little fun at the kind of comments we sometimes see when people are trying to the tell the virtues of Lisp. I could not say much about APL but did want to find out if it really gives you a new way of thinking.