Ricky Jay, the star ofBroadway show “Ricky Jay: On the Stem,” had a ton of dice collected over the years. Hediscusses his interest in the items used for gambling and the means of cheatingthroughout the years.(Check out the article on CNN today).The new book includes photos of the collection and a discussion of the history dice as tools of gambling.
Jaycomments on reception of the book:
“Some people have described the photographs as picturing a living organism,” says Jay. Perhaps early dicers didn’t imagine their cubes of bone as being animate objects, he adds, “but when you see them break down, I agree — they’re so alive.”
Magicians are familiar with Jay’s outstanding previous literary works, “Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women” and “Jay’s Journal of Anomalies.” But the article exposes his involvement in theater and other literary forms.
Dice: Deception, Fate and Rotten Luck is published by Quantuck Lane Press/Norton and is an outstanding book whether your interest is as a magician, gambler or lover of fine essays and photography.
It is nice to see the lay (non-magic) media give the props where they are deserved. This weekend’s San Francisco Examiner begins with the following:
Mention master illusionist David Copperfield at any happening party and you’ll probably receive snickers and eye-rolling. Somehow, over the course of the man’s remarkable 30-year career, he’s been stamped uncool, too pedestrian for the cognoscenti.
But snobs have no idea what they’re missing. While the performer looks Las Vegas glitzy, his shows are adrenaline rushes so powerful they border on rock ‘n’ roll.
I couldn’t agree more. David is cool and his work is — as it has always been — first class. Here is someone who clearly loves magic, its history, its performance and the sense of wonder it creates in the audience. He has taken material we all know and combined it, re-engineered it, and put his mark on it.
Other magicians have made a woman levitate or rise and levitate. David makes her levitate, rise and fly in his arms. But, it is considered “cool” by some in the magic inner-circle to dismiss David by fitting him within the confines of one of many categories “they” consider un-cool.
He is either too: showy, rich, slick, old, dependent on stage material or too something.He is not struggling like the rest of us, they say.That could be because he is truly good.He gets it.He understands what it takes to put on a show for which people will pay to see each year.
I liked the quote from David near the end of the article when asked if he is ever fooled by a trick or illusion.
We all have a lot of magic that we will never use. We promise ourselves and others that we will use it one day but deep in our hearts, we know that for whatever reason the trick will not fit our act, style or ability.
Tim has a large number new tricks from his former life as a carnival worker and has already populated many of the sections on the classified board. There is a place for new tricks, used, antique (I’m not sure how that’s different than “used”), and a personals section. There is supposed to be some fee attached to the use of the sections but for the time-being they’re being waived.
I’ve got quite a few magic books in pretty decent condition and will probably put up a few of them in the used book section. The time it takes to fillout the two screens and upload a picture of your tricks is about 30 to 40 seconds. It’s worth a shot.
The link for the classifieds will always be at the top of the screen here. We’ll have some notification of the new items here in the main pages so if you put something up, you’ll get double coverage.
If there is one time of the year that is great for work, it’s this time. Magicians step to the forefront of those looking to entertain at home parties, office parties or just parties. Let us know how your shows went this year and where you performed. What was your best or worst experience and what did you learn that you would like to pass on to others. Continue reading What Was Your Halloween Like?
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