Poteet Victory

By: J. Robert Keating
Publication Date: June 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1639882823
Reviewed by Lynette Latzko
Review Date: June 13, 2022

Come along with author J. Robert Keating, as he takes you on an amazing odyssey into the life of a remarkable man, artist, and American Indian, Poteet Victory.

Born in Idabel, Oklahoma, in 1947, Poteet lived a unique and difficult childhood on his own, essentially having to fend for himself after his parents abandoned him. But, despite a rough childhood, and many setbacks over the years, readers will quickly learn that Poteet’s drive to succeed and become a world-class painter wins out in the end. You see, Poteet Victory is a bit like a real-life Forrest Gump - wherever Forrest/Poteet traveled, interesting, fascinating, and sometimes even incredibly unbelievable things happened to him. For example, who would believe that moving to Hawaii with barely any money and direction, would turn into a wildly profitable silk-screening business? And how about not only rubbing elbows with famous people while living and studying in New York, but actually teaching Andy Warhol the finer points of silk screening?

If the above doesn’t impress you much, perhaps his story about being honored by Native American tribes for his artistic work memorializing all Native Americans and his attempt to educate the public about what really happened during the Trail of Tears, will pull at your heartstrings. These stories and plenty more are all contained in this fascinating book about a man’s life that is as entertaining as it is inspirational. Although this book is quite lengthy at over 600 pages, readers should not shy away from eagerly diving into, and learning about Poteet Victory; a man who believed his journey through life was all over the place, but ultimately got him through some of his darkest moments including alcoholism and poverty (not to mention five wives!), into one of the most celebrated American Indian painters in modern times.

Author Keating takes the actual dialog collected from interviews with Poteet Victory, and expertly weaves a seamless tale of Elliot Jacobs, a movie producer looking to make a TV series about Poteet’s life. This story flows so quickly and effortlessly that you don’t realize you aren’t just being entertained by stories, but you’re actually learning about a real person. A man who has been through it all, and has overcome so much to get where he is today and is someone who this reviewer feels would be a great teacher and friend. There is so much to say about this book and the life of Poteet Victory, that this one small review can’t fully do it justice. So go ahead, read the book; you won’t be disappointed.

Quill says: Come for the fascinating stories, but stay to learn about a truly remarkable man in Poteet Victory.

For more information on Poteet Victory, please visit the author's website at: www.jrobertkeating.com

Author Interview