Film critic and historian David Thomson and sleight of hand expert and actor Ricky Jay on this edition of
Fresh Air. David Thomson's latest book is
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. It is an updated version of his
Biographical Dictionary of Film, which was first published in 1975. Some of the entries from the Dictionary have been revised and new entries have been added. Thomson has taught film studies at Dartmouth College and has served on the selection committee for the New York Film Festival. He is a regular contributor to
The New York Times,
Film Comment,
Movieline,
The New Republic, and
The Independent. Ricky Jay's new book is
Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck. It's a collection of essays about the history of dice and the many ways of cheating at the game. Photographs by Rosamond Purcell accompany the text.
The New York Times says of Jay, "He's a master's master." His other books include
Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women and
Jay's Journal of Anomalies. He's appeared in a number of David Mamet films and his one-man shows include
Ricky Jay & His 52 Assistants, and
Ricky Jay: On the Stem. (Broadcast Date: December 2, 2002)
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