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Joker, Joker, Deuce
An electrifying collection of poems from the author of The Sellout , winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize
Originally published in 1994, Paul Beatty’s second volume of poetry won praise for the way it “pushes the boundaries of free verse while assessing the landscapes of African American autobiography” ( Bomb Magazine ). In these poems, which explore aspects of race, identity, and popular culture, Beatty was honing the comic, satirical voice and vivid imagination that came to full realization in his acclaimed fiction. Joker, Joker, Deuce “moves to fierce urban rhythms, both cool and hot,” writes Jessica Hagedorn. “A rush of intense visual images and electric word music.”
Originally published in 1994, Paul Beatty’s second volume of poetry won praise for the way it “pushes the boundaries of free verse while assessing the landscapes of African American autobiography” ( Bomb Magazine ). In these poems, which explore aspects of race, identity, and popular culture, Beatty was honing the comic, satirical voice and vivid imagination that came to full realization in his acclaimed fiction. Joker, Joker, Deuce “moves to fierce urban rhythms, both cool and hot,” writes Jessica Hagedorn. “A rush of intense visual images and electric word music.”
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1994
About the author
Paul Beatty
25 books1,671 followersPaul Beatty (born 1962 in Los Angeles) is a contemporary African-American author. Beatty received an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College and an MA in psychology from Boston University. He is a 1980 graduate of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California.
In 1990, Paul Beatty was crowned the first ever Grand Poetry Slam Champion of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. One of the prizes for winning that championship title was the book deal which resulted in his first volume of poetry, Big Bank Takes Little Bank. This would be followed by another book of poetry Joker, Joker, Deuce as well as appearances performing his poetry on MTV and PBS (in the series The United States of Poetry). In 1993, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
His first novel, The White Boy Shuffle received a positive review in The New York Times, the reviewer, Richard Bernstein, called the book "a blast of satirical heat from the talented heart of black American life." His second book, Tuff received a positive notice in Time Magazine. Most recently, Beatty edited an anthology of African-American humor called Hokum and wrote an article in The New York Times on the same subject.
In 1990, Paul Beatty was crowned the first ever Grand Poetry Slam Champion of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. One of the prizes for winning that championship title was the book deal which resulted in his first volume of poetry, Big Bank Takes Little Bank. This would be followed by another book of poetry Joker, Joker, Deuce as well as appearances performing his poetry on MTV and PBS (in the series The United States of Poetry). In 1993, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
His first novel, The White Boy Shuffle received a positive review in The New York Times, the reviewer, Richard Bernstein, called the book "a blast of satirical heat from the talented heart of black American life." His second book, Tuff received a positive notice in Time Magazine. Most recently, Beatty edited an anthology of African-American humor called Hokum and wrote an article in The New York Times on the same subject.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 30, 2021
Beatty is one brilliant motherfucker.
“but everything we did was nigga quid pro quo
if you brought up sigmund freud or hegel
you had to counterbalance the eurolabel with dubois
without sayin how much him and freud looked alike”
Beatty, god of the beats. The Ginsberg influence is evident, but the work is all Beatty.
“but everything we did was nigga quid pro quo
if you brought up sigmund freud or hegel
you had to counterbalance the eurolabel with dubois
without sayin how much him and freud looked alike”
Beatty, god of the beats. The Ginsberg influence is evident, but the work is all Beatty.
August 18, 2009
epic poems. beatty would be nowhere w/o his culture and pop culture references. color lines are often drawn ... dig in and dig deep.
May 20, 2014
Beatty is the truth! Micky mouse build a house was my personal favorite.
November 4, 2018
Poetry.
Goddamn.
Goddamn.
July 13, 2019
so freaking good, so so powerful
it's been forever since I read poetry
such a great book to ease back into it
it's been forever since I read poetry
such a great book to ease back into it
July 29, 2026
July 29, 2026: I'm on page 71 of 108.
I find Paul Beatty's Joker, Joker, Deuce more accessible than Michael Robbins's Alien vs. Predator, and that is one reason I prefer the former. Robbins may well have a much stronger grasp of formal poetry, and he is mixing high, low, and all kinds of other brows together, but A. versus P. has so many poems whose meaning escapes me. Beatty is also mixing all the brows--and please send royalties if you can build a soft drink concept off this multi-browism--and I don't always understand Beatty either, but it likely helps that I've read three of his novels in the past. The books of both Beatty and Robbins are becoming rare and expensive, so I highly recommend grabbing copies now if you want to read two of the leading poets of our times; their work has an intersection, but overall, their voices are radically different. Robbins has many more allusions to classic texts, often in his rhythms, but Beatty has these too (but not quite as many).
I find Paul Beatty's Joker, Joker, Deuce more accessible than Michael Robbins's Alien vs. Predator, and that is one reason I prefer the former. Robbins may well have a much stronger grasp of formal poetry, and he is mixing high, low, and all kinds of other brows together, but A. versus P. has so many poems whose meaning escapes me. Beatty is also mixing all the brows--and please send royalties if you can build a soft drink concept off this multi-browism--and I don't always understand Beatty either, but it likely helps that I've read three of his novels in the past. The books of both Beatty and Robbins are becoming rare and expensive, so I highly recommend grabbing copies now if you want to read two of the leading poets of our times; their work has an intersection, but overall, their voices are radically different. Robbins has many more allusions to classic texts, often in his rhythms, but Beatty has these too (but not quite as many).
April 9, 2019
Why has this book not been re-released?
May 7, 2020
Dear Mr Beatty - I think you are extraordinary. This is one of the wildest smartest books of poetry I've ever read. It's an absolute gift: remarkable and unrepeatable. Can't wait to read more!
October 2, 2023
Beatty's poetry needs way more attention than it gets, he's even more brilliant here than in Big Bank Take Little Bank.
July 31, 2007
Fabulous poetry.
June 8, 2010
Contains a great humor poem:
Why That Abbot and Costillo Vaudeville Mess Never Worked on Black Folks
Who's on first?
I don't know, your mama.
Worth checking out.
Why That Abbot and Costillo Vaudeville Mess Never Worked on Black Folks
Who's on first?
I don't know, your mama.
Worth checking out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews