Joshua Jay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joshua Jay
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| Born | October 30, 1981 |
| Occupation | Magician, lecturer |
Joshua Jay (born October 30, 1981) is an American magician, writer, and speaker. He has performed his amazing magic shows in over 100 countries! He even won a top award at the World Magic Seminar in 1998. Joshua Jay worked with famous magicians Penn and Teller on their TV show Fool Us. He also holds a Guinness World Record for card tricks. You might have seen him on TV shows like Good Morning America and The Today Show. In 2018, he was honored by the Society of American Magicians for his great contributions to magic. He lives in New York City.
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How Joshua Jay Started Magic
Joshua Jay grew up in Canton, Ohio. He went to Canton Country Day School, GlenOak High School, and later Ohio State University. His journey into magic began when his dad showed him a cool card trick. Joshua was so curious about how it worked, and that sparked his love for magic!
Joshua Jay's Amazing Career
Joshua Jay has created magic tricks for TV shows and live performances. He even helped HBO with illusions for the popular show Game of Thrones. The United States Postal Service also asked for his advice when they designed a special series of Magic postage stamps.
Setting a World Record
On January 30, 2016, Joshua Jay set a Guinness World Record! At the Columbus Magi-Fest, he found 21 selected cards from a shuffled deck in just one minute. That's super fast, and it's still the record today!
Performing for Presidents
Joshua Jay has performed for important people, too. He appeared at the 2008 Inaugural Ball for former President Barack Obama. He has also performed privately for former President Clinton.
Vanishing Inc. Magic
In 2008, Joshua Jay and his friend Andi Gladwin started a company called Vanishing Inc. Magic. They make and sell magic props for other magicians. Today, Vanishing Inc. is one of the biggest magic shops in the world! They have warehouses in the United States and Europe.
Joshua Jay as an Author
Joshua Jay studied creative writing at Ohio State University. His first book, The Amazing Book of Cards, came from his college project. He has written many other books about magic, including MAGIC: The Complete Course and How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters. He also worked for 12 years as the Tricks Editor at MAGIC Magazine. Many of his books have been translated into different languages, so people all over the world can learn from him.
Some of his books include:
- "Overlap" (2005)
- "Magic: The Complete Course (Book & DVD)" (2008)
- "Joshua Jay's Amazing Book Of Cards (Book & DVD)" (2010)
TV Appearances
You might have seen Joshua Jay on these TV shows:
- Discovery Channel's Grand Illusions: The Story of Magic
- Fox Network's Lance Burton's Young Magician's Showcase
- NHK's Magic of America (Japanese TV)
- NBC's TODAY SHOW (he was on twice!)
- ABC's Good Morning America
- The Daily Buzz (on the Spike Network)
- Brad Meltzer's Decoded (on the History Channel)
- The CW's Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Episode: Teller Plays with a Full Deck)
Awards and Honors
Joshua Jay has won many awards for his magic, including:
- 2011 Merlin Literary Achievement Award
- World Magic Seminar, 1998 First Place Champion (Presented by Lance Burton)
- International Battle of Magicians (he won twice, in 1996 and 1998)
- Columbus Magi Fest
- Kleinman Incentive Award, Most Promising Youth (SAM National Convention)
- Best Published Trick, Award for Creativity (The Linking Ring magazine)
- Youngest magician to write a "One-Man-Parade" (a special twenty-page article about original magic tricks) in The Linking Ring magazine
- Society of American Magicians Close-Up Magician of the Year Award 2011
