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The Big Smoke (Penguin Poets) by [Matejka, Adrian]

The Big Smoke (Penguin Poets) Kindle Edition

by Adrian Matejka (Author)

14 customer reviews

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Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Award and finalist for both the National Book Award in Poetry and the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry--a collection that examines the myth and history of the prizefighter Jack Johnson

The legendary Jack Johnson (1878-1946) was a true American creation. The child of emancipated slaves, he overcame the violent segregationism of Jim Crow, challenging white boxers--and white America--to become the first African-American heavyweight world champion. The Big Smoke, Adrian Matejka's third work of poetry, follows the fighter's journey from poverty to the most coveted title in sports through the multi-layered voices of Johnson and the white women he brazenly loved. Matejka's book is part historic reclamation and part interrogation of Johnson's complicated legacy, one that often misremembers the magnetic man behind the myth.

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Length: 124 pages

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

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File Size: 642 KB
Print Length: 124 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0143123726
Publisher: Penguin Books; 1 edition (May 28, 2013)
Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00AEDDRYY
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,637 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #216 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > American > African American
- #541 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Contemporary
- #856 in Books > Literature & Fiction > African American > Poetry

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14 customer reviews

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jim caroompas

Homeric tradition upheld

January 19, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A novel in poetic form? I was skeptical, but it was brilliantly executed. By the end, a story was told, shadows and light of this compelling American story revealed as only poetry can. Inspiring, precise and lyrical, this is a form of storytelling I hope to see more of. Jack Johnson was an American hero in the truest sense: blustery, brutal, fearless, with a stubborn refusal to accept historical precedent. He was the embodiment of the white American male's fear of what a black man could become at a time when it seemed impossible such a thing could happen. Johnson was a monster to the white women he became openly involved with. So he is no easy, simple hero. But to a people enslaved, he was a glimpse into a possibility that may yet become a reality. Read this book.

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O Poppa

May 18, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

An interesting concept volume that promises more than a revision of the legend of Jack Johnson, but gets lost in attempting multiple contextual points of view.

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Ponce in St Paul

poetry with story

September 22, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This wonderful collection works as poetry, novel, and biography, telling more by surrounding ideas with words than description ever could. I couldn't wait to finish so that I could start reading it again.

2 people found this helpful

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Clifford Garstang

Fascinating Portrait of an Important 20th Century Sports Figure

January 16, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

How is it possible that this finalist for the National Book Award AND the Pulitzer Prize has so few customer reviews? It's a great collection of poetry, unique in both the style of the poetry and the story it tells. The focus here is on the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World, Jack Johnson, including one long poem that tells the story of his greatest fight. But we also see the other side of Johnson, including his interest in opera and his violent relationships outside the ring. Terrific book.

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Wondering

A Poet's Appreciation

December 18, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I found this work riveting. Adrian Matejka uses a variety of techniques and great poetic diction to tell the well researched story of Jack Johnson. This work is valuable both for historical accuracy and artistic presentation.

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onlinej

Teaching it in a few weeks

February 1, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Brilliant read. Important contribution to African American literary and poetry scene. I'm excited to teach in seminar with doctoral students next month.

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Thomas J. Housworth

A Lyrical Punch

November 17, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is some powerful poetry. A collection of pieces in the voices of fighter Jack Johnson and the white women he loved and betrayed, Adrian Matejka captures the rhythmic style of boxing in his phrasings, the lyrical punch of the pugilist in his words. I found myself going back and rereading passages just for their sheer impact, be it beauty or brutality.

This is fifteen rounds of pure and powerful poetry. I'm eager to dig more deeply into Johnson's legend and Matejka's other works. As for "The Big Smoke?" Seek it out.

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madison veverka

Not my usual pastime but totes worth it

December 11, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Jack Johnson is like, a really fascinating guy and this book was probs worth more than I paid for it but I'm on a tight budget because I have to buy a lot of model airplanes and dioramas etc for fantasy satisfying reasons so like, yeah, the price was good and the book was a nice read.

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