The magic magic book by ricky jay your doorway to those rare collectibles that everyone is searching for. Ricky jay is a famous magician and historian of magic you may have seen him in some of david mamets movies. This issue features a loving tribute to the late ricky jay, with contributions by david roth, michael weber. Cards as weapons by ricky jay 1977, paperback for sale. He can throw a playing card into a watermelon rind from ten paces. Illustrated by vija celmins, jane hammond, glenn ligon, justin ladda, philip taaffe, and william wegman. Ricky jay was born on june 26, 1946 in brooklyn, new york city, new york, usa as richard jay potash. The greatest german living, ricky jay, a magician, actor, and writer, explores buchingers life through written. Author, actor and huckster historian ricky jays first book, a hilarious, photo illustrated treatise on the use of playing cards as weapons, with chapters on technique, practice, stunts and selfdefense.
Ricky jay biography, age, wife, cards, on the stem, books. Ricky jay, who is perhaps the most gifted sleightofhand artist alive, was performing magic with a deck of cards. He was known for his prestidigitation, card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage banter. Cards as weapons by ricky jay and a great selection of. All the arts are forms of magic, and the wonderment, mystery and pure joy of seeing a master like ricky jay perform is a thrill like no other, says michael kantor, executive producer of.
The show goes between archival clips of ricky jay performing, memories of his greatest mentors who sound like characters from edward gorey books and have names to match, and anecdotes from. See more ideas about ricky jay, card tricks and magic tricks. It will expand your conception of what human beings are capable of. Known professionally as ricky jay, he was called perhaps the most gifted sleightofhand artist alive. One of jays contributions to very like a whale is an early modern book about john selman. Magician ricky jay wowed the world with his seamless closeup magic tricks.
Famous for his astounding ability to throw playing cards, and is. He was a worldclass card manipulator and thought to be the youngest performer ever to play the ed sullivan show. Born to a jewishamerican family, jay is considered one of the most knowledgeable and skilled sleightofhand experts in the united states. Ricky jay photo ricky jay cards ricky jay card tricks ricky jay card throwing. Jay, the superlative card magician and a scholar and collector of antique marvels, lent nearly all the buchinger. A sumptuous, scholarly, witty new bookricky jays prose sparkles with humor and passion.
In this book he describes some performance acts that will amaze you. Ricky jay, the mastershowman magician, actor, scholar, special effects consultant and author who was called the most gifted sleightofhand artist alive by writers for the most prestigious. Cards as weapons by ricky jay is one of those books that if your into cards and card magic you want. David mamet on ricky jay, a great astonisher and truest. Ricky jay has been called a master in the art of deception, and one of the greatest sleight of hand artists in the world. Cards as weapons by ricky jay meet your next favorite book.
Ricky jay remembered by a former personal assistant. How he did all thisor, really, any of itnot even ricky jay knows for sure. Jay was until recently, listed in the guinness book of records for throwing a playing card 190 ft at 90 miles per hour, 140 kmh before the record was broken by rick smith, jr. He was 26 years old, and had been practicing magic since childhood. Its a study of both a fascinating 18th century polymath and a fascinating 21st century polymath who loves him jay, for. Born into a middleclass jewish family, he grew up in elizabeth, new jersey, his grandfather, an amateur magician, introduced jay to magic.
Ricky jay really hates the book fooling houdini boing. With ricky jay as with all great magicians the hand is quicker than the eye, but in his case, its the voice that youll remember long after the meeting. Three of jays oneman shows, ricky jay and his 52 assistants, ricky. I love ricky jays magic, his books, his quarterly magazine, and his performances. Sleight of hand master ricky jay on the best magic trick. Ricky jays masterful sleightof hand extended to collecting magic. Ricky jay contributor is considered one of the worlds great sleightofhand artists.
The magic book by mike caveney, jim steinmeyer, ricky jay. An inquiry into the venerable history and operation of the oldest trick conjuring volumes, designated blow books. This is not only a selfdefense book, its a book on magic and history as well. Extra credit ricky jay married chrisann verges, a film producer and location scout, in 2002, and they remained married until his death in 2018. Ricky jay, magician whose sleight of hand defied logic or. His mastery of playing cards fascinated everyone from latenight hosts arsenio hall, david letterman, and conan o. Ricky jay, himself a graduate from cornell university, used to do magic for free at the bars where he worked. He collected rare books and manuscripts, art, and other artifacts. The content of the books is of the caliber that you done seem to find in many books that are made these days it just also happens to be a relitively rare book. Jay the lucille lortel and obie awards for outstanding achievement. The first is a 93 plus viii page treatise on the history and working of the magic blow book. Ricky jay, gifted magician, actor and author, is dead at.
Its a study of both a fascinating 18th century polymath and a fascinating 21st century polymath who loves him jay, for all his background in deception, has been exacting. The allamerican magic of ricky jay the imaginative. Richard jay potash june 26, 1946 november 24, 2018, known professionally a s ricky jay, was an american stage magician and actor. He is most likely the youngest magician to perform a full magic act on tv, the. Ricky jay did enough tv and film work boogie nights, the xfiles, deadwood to where he was identifiable to many who nevertheless remained unaware of his real art. Ricky jay and his 52 assistants was his magic show at the soho playhouse in 1994. Ricky jay, who has contributed the introduction to this book, is one of the worlds great sleight of hand artists, and a distinguished actor, historian, and bestselling author. In a profile for the new yorker, mark singer c alled jay perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive. Ricky jay, mike caveny and jim steinmeyer taschen, pp. Ricky jay born richard jay potash in 1946 was an american stage magician, actor, and writer. It simultaneously takes a look at the degree of suffering magicians faced at the hands of. That last clip is a sevenminute history lesson disguised as sleight of hand, and it offers a glimpse of what jay isnt. Ricky jay knew that we americans want magic in our lives and he made a living out of it, so its natural that he ended up in hollywood. The trick of being magician ricky jay the boston globe.
Sleight of hand master ricky jay on the best magic trick ever performed. Ricky jay, himself a graduate from cornell university, used to do magic for free at. Jay delivering a tutorial on dealing from the bottom of the deck, jay beheading plastic ducks with flying playing cards, jay performing his version of the shell game. In addition to sleight o f han d, jay was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. See more ideas about ricky jay, the magicians and jay. At the moment im writing a book about my favorite character of all time, who was a. A sumptuous, scholarly, witty new book ricky jay s prose sparkles with humor and passion. Ive collected thousands of books in my life about magic. Jay is a talented magician and a fascinating storytelling historian of magic, con artists, and sideshows.
Ricky jay remembered by a former personal assistant critic chris klimek offers a remembrance of the late illusionist, author and actor ricky jay. The great ricky jay was the magicians magician boing boing. Ricky jay magician doug hennings world of magic 1976. He is also distinguished as an actor, historian, and bestselling author. Unfortunately, this was before my time but many people in ithaca still remember him. He is known for his work on magnolia 1999, boogie nights 1997 and heist 2001. A conversation with ricky jay by cole louison, may 19, 2011. Magic by mike caveney, jim steinmeyer, ricky jay, noel. Ricky jay and the magic of matthias buchinger the new yorker. As a selfstyled ninja, martial artist, amateur magician, professional gambler, and historian, i find many of the techniques mentioned in this book extremely useful. He was a great character actor and appeared everywhere. Google ricky jay and youll find fistfuls of video clips. Jay was drawn to the study of history of magic and its practitioners, and that research filled many of his books, including learned pigs and. He was a worldclass card manipulator and thought to be the youngest.
During the performance, he invited an astrology fan to join her. Historical essay by ricky jay published in two volumes. I was a teenage kid when i stumbled upon the cardmagic bible the expert. M agician, actor, and scholar ricky jay, who passed away on saturday, november 24, at age 72, was a oneofakind entertainer who lived out of step with the modern age but. Also present was a friend of mamet and moshers named christ nogulich, the.