Table of Contents
   Preludep. xiii
   Introduction: The Fear of Black Laughterp. xv
   
      A Native Son of Wistful Vistap. 3
   
      "There's a Person Here That's Possessed"p. 176
      "There's a Bad Muthafucka CominÆ Your Way"p. 22
      A Screaming Comes across the Skyp. 126
   
      Backing Up While Swimmingp. 30
      The Word Made Fleshp. 118
      "Nigger, Come Out of That Black Skin and Be Black, Nigger"p. 132
      "Ain't That Many of Us to Go Around"p. 40
      There's a Riot GoinÆ Onp. 107
      "Give Me Some Milk or Else Go Home"p. 51
      "I See That Man in My Mind and Go with Him"p. 161
      A Way Out of Here Other Than That Doorp. 72
      Monday, December 22, 1969p. 95
   
      "Let It Stay Heavy if Not Hard"p. 145
      "Let's Get Him before Somebody Else Does"p. 187
      Surrender, Richardp. 198
      "You Hollywood Faggots Can Kiss My Rich Happy Black Ass"p. 207
      "Does It Look Like I'm Smiling to You, Motherfucker?"p. 211
      "When You Get off That Stage, There's a Loneliness That Comes over You"p. 217
      "My Mind's Thinking About Shit I Don't Want to Be Thinkin' About"p. 226
   
      "The Part of Me That Wanted to Die Did"p. 239
      Is Comedy Stand-Up Poetry?p. 247
      "I Guess That's a Smile. I Hope That's His Face"p. 249
      "I'm Finding It Hard Imitating Richard Pryor"p. 259
      The Last Temptation of Richardp. 264
   Epilogue: Going to Meet the Manp. 277
   Joe's Postscriptp. 279
   Acknowledgmentsp. 283
   Sourcesp. 285