With a generous, wide-open heart, James Humphrey (February 20, 1939 - May 21, 2008) entered his days with vibrancy and enthusiasm, and if you met him, you weren’t a stranger for very long. Humphrey’s commitment to breaking the cycle of child abuse in his life—through his writing, teaching and living—led to the creation of a body of work that continues to influence and inspire. As his friend Charles Bukowski encouraged: “make it a heavyweight fight.” 

“Jim dared us to push back the darkness and become a forward force for each other.”  —Norma Humphrey

Acclaimed poet, teacher, abstract artist, athlete, and champion for victims of child abuse, Humphrey never fit a pedestrian description. Writing in a free-verse style, Humphrey compressed emotion and experience into concise poems that defied colloquial writing of the traditionalists and was associated with the twentieth century expressionist movement in American poetry. 

Welcome to the James Humphrey website, maintained by his estate.

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