Poteet Victory is a rags-to-riches story of historical significance. Through his efforts on behalf of the tribes, Poteet became one of the most-honored Native Americans of the past half-century. Abandoned as a child, he beat the odds to become a renowned painter, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who has sold thousands of paintings for millions of dollars. Authentically presented in his own words, Poteet's story is funny, entertaining, and inspiring. In Poteet Victory by J. Robert Keating, we experience life with one who has done it all. How does someone who grew up in Idabel, Oklahoma become a member of a hippie commune on the Hawaiian island of Maui? How does that person find themselves living and working among the stars in New York City-teaching Andy Warhol the finer points of silk screening? Back in Oklahoma and with the support of many tribal leaders, Poteet became controversial when he showed the truth and the real suffering of his ancestors on the Trail of Tears. Learn about this man and be challenged by his life. "Each story is the stuff of legend." - Independent Book Review "The potent choice of blending drama with personal, social, and artistic inspection makes 'Poteet Victory' highly recommended for contemporary literature libraries looking for high-impact reads steeped in history and drama alike." - Midwest Book Review "Keating skillfully retells the harrowing, glamorous, and occcasionally humorous events of Victory's life with salient details." - Kirkus "Googling the name "Poteet Victory" confirms many of the tales told and gives the reader a present face to the name. Knowing you could walk into his gallery and purchase some of the pieces discussed is its own type of thrill." - Independent Book Review "Keating's fictionalization of Poteet's story allowed him to add the embellishments that attract beyond a nonfiction audience, which brings the story to settle where it should--in the hearts of ordinary readers who initially just want a compelling read. The dialog, quipping, interpersonal interactions and artistic ... observations of Poteet come alive in a form nonfiction alone never could have acvhieved." Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, Senior Book Reviewer My many trips to Santa Fe were a real adventure. Spending time with Poteet and Terry was always a joy. We had many hours of conversation, and I recorded nearly everything. Those recordings became the foundation of the book. As much as I could, I wrote everything in their own words--trying to catch their pronunciations, their timing, and their way of speaking. Poteet is a never-ending fountain of entertaining stories. (Never miss the opportunity to spend time with him.) And he never gave me a reason to doubt anything I heard him say. He was always open to my questions, and no subject was ever off limits. We talked poiitics, reliion, and all about his five wives. Some of what he told me is controversial and offensive. I know that, but it's part of his story. Life for him was never easy. Everything was trial and error. He had very little adult guidance as a young person. He had to make his own decisions and pay the price personally for his mistakes. My advice to the reader is to push through the bad choices and try to personalize the lessons he learned. Poteet is so many things and has done so much that it's hard to pick what is most significsnt about his life. I ask, "Is it his rags to riches story? Is it marrying and divorcing four women before finding Terry? Is it the significance of his art? Is it the treatment he received when his "Trail of Tears" mural became controversial? Is it all the remarkable stories? Is it his journey of faith--unconventional at best? Is it the hope he can give to someone who finds themselves in tough circumstances?" I'll admit... When I took on the project, I thought it was his stories. But after a while, it became more than that. However, Poteet and I didn't always see eye to eye. At times I had to wrestle with some of his opinions. His view of fights and fighting didn't set well with me at first. I didn't grow up as someone who had fights, but Poteet did. i didn't grow up in a beer joint, but Poteet did. He knew of my reservations on the subject, and we had to educate each other about our pasts. So, how does someone who's spent his life fighting to survive turn into a kind, giving, even-tempered, talented artist who spends each day creating paintings for the people who love and enjoy his work? The answer is hard to explain, but it's in the book. I learned so much from Poteet, and we became great friends. One of the questions that always comes up when I talk with someone about the book is, "What does Poteet think about it?" I tell them, "He had every chance to take out anything he didn't like." I sent him all the chapters as I wrote them and any changes I made later. He didn't much comment one way or another. When I was finished, I sat in his studio and read the whole book to him. It took a while