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On Wednesday May 11, Ken Angel Davis and I stopped by John Godfrey’s apartment. He was home after a long stay in rehab due to a fall. I’d been wanting to record him reading from his current book, Prettier Grit, and was very happy that he had the time.
Anselm Berrigan says that when reading a poem of John Godfrey’s “a wall tumbles and lets out the universe.” “No other poet captures the width of beauty in the grit of a New York second,” says Brenda Coultas. I’d say his way with words resonate and are (among other things) sexy precise mind-bending roller coaster rides of sound and sight, and so funny at times I have to laugh. Like Buddha slaps of enlightenment.
It has taken a while, but in the Vimeo below you will find John Godfrey reading his poems. Enjoy.
John Godfrey reads from Prettier Grit
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Here are six poems that I’ve scanned from Prettier Grit. Once I started, it was hard to stop.
Prettier Grit is published by Station Hill Press and you can check it out here:
https://stationhill.org/product/prettier-grit/
Ken Angel Davis selfie with John Godfrey
LiVE MAG! 4/12/25 Celebrating John Godfrey
Larry Fagin read by John Godfrey, art by Ken Angel Davis
John Godfrey at KGB 11/21/16
Wonderful. Thanks, Don.