The pain is bad magicians ripping off good ones, doing magic badly, and making a mockery of the art. — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
Not only do I lie, I take real pleasure in lying, in the transmission of magic effects. — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
Theft annoys me more than anything else. The purloining of effects from another magician. Some people think it's massive to steal the… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
I grew up like Athena—covered with playing cards instead of armor—and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
For me, the most exciting thing is to create good magic that's entertaining for an audience, and it would be lovely if… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
I was considered a comedy magician. And - how do I put this without sounding egotistical? - it didn't take me long… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
Like every art form, there are jealousies and angers and competitiveness in magic. But there's camaraderie among magicians, whether you perform it… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
I wasn't obsessed by magic. People say, 'How you can you claim you practiced eight hours a day and weren't obsessed?' Well,… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
For the most part, magic secrets are available on a level that's overwhelming and frightening, and they are very accessible if you… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
To obfuscate the reconstruction of the effect - when a magician is fooled by another magician doing magic. In my career that's… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
Dai Vernon, the greatest sleight of hand figure in the history of the art, rarely performed. But he invented magic and had… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
There are people who try to figure things out. Often, magic is presented in a way that sets up a challenge that… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
I'm much more interested in lesser-known eccentrics and characters and performers. Like Matthew Buchinger, who was born in Germany in 1674, had… — Ricky Jay Copy Share Image
Writing is the only thing in my life that doesn't get easier. It just doesn't. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
Magicians from the nineteenth century threw cards distances, but I think I'm the first one who made a thing about using them as weapons. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
That's one of the ways language evolved, by some very obscure form becoming common usage. And I must say that I'm very intrigued by… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I started doing radio pieces with no clear, preconceived idea, except that I have a tendency to be theatrical. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I'm probably the only kid in history whose parents made him stop taking music lessons. They made me stop studying the accordion. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I suppose that if I could only do one thing, a solid card effect would be pretty high on the list. That's the root… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
To obfuscate the reconstruction of the effect - when a magician is fooled by another magician doing magic. In my career that's not been… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
Unlike other Jewish families, we didn't go out for Chinese food on Sundays, but we spent our time in a world of baking powder… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
There are people who try to figure things out. Often, magic is presented in a way that sets up a challenge that I actually… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
My father was the Formica King of Long Island, and my mother was the daughter of a Bengal Lancer in India. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I'm much more interested in lesser-known eccentrics and characters and performers. Like Matthew Buchinger, who was born in Germany in 1674, had no arms… — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I think a lot of people just assumed I came to L.A. to do more television and get into show business. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
I always read what I write out loud, and I did that long before any radio thing. My editor finds that unusual. — Ricky Jay Copy Share
