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For more information about Ray Carney's writing on the Beat Movement:

Lisa Philips, ed. Beat Culture and the New America–1950-1965 (Paris and New York: The Whitney Museum of Art in association with Flammarion, 1995) softcover, copiously illustrated with more than 300 photos, 280 pages.

Beat Culture and The New America: 1950-1965 puts the cultural legacy of the Beat generation into the context of the social and artistic ferment of the 1950s and early 1960s. This, the catalogue that accompanies the show at the Whitney Museum, surveys a vast range of artistic practices–from painting, sculpture, photography, to film, and a fascinating range of documents and Beat ephemera. The book goes far beyond defining what Beat was and was not, what it spawned or what it ignored. Whitney curator Lisa Phillips, who conceived and organized the exhibition, and the nine contributing writers to this catalogue [which includes three new pieces by Beat film expert Ray Carney] have set out to define not only the historical roots of Beat culture, but also the relationship between its fuzzy edges and its molten center. Just as important, the show and catalogue clarify the bridge between the current range and tone of American art, music, and literature and the residual forces which initially emerged during this complex moment in postwar American history and remain very much with us today.

—Excerpted (and adapted) from the "Director's Foreword" by David Ross

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This book sold out all of its printings and is now only available in libraries, used book stores, and through the used book service of Barnes and Noble (which has many copies of it at different prices). For more information about the Beat movement, I highly recommend the following web sites:

Clicking on the above links will open a new window in your browser. You may return to this page by closing that window or by clicking on the window for this page again.

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If you are interested in reading more of Ray Carney's writing about life, art, and independent film, three softbound packets of material are available. They are not for sale in any store and only available through this web site.

Telling the Truth about Life and Art

Three packets of interviews with Ray Carney are available exclusively through www.Cassavetes.com. They are not for sale in any store and only available through this web site.

In them Ray Carney talks about — 

  • the importance of art in a world organized around business values
  • the importance of the unique, individual voice in a world of averages and generalizations
  • the importance of excellence in a world of mediocrity
  • the importance of truth–telling in a world devoted to popularity and celebrity
  • the difference between teaching content (facts, methods, and techniques) and teaching ways of knowing
  • what’s wrong with the study of film in college and graduate school
  • why most film books and film reviews are so bad

Ray Carney, Why Art Matters: A collection of essays, interviews, and lectures on life and art, softbound, approximately 150 pages (60,000 words). Available for $15.

A collection of essays, interviews, and lectures on art, life, and film that appeared in Visions and Moviemaker magazines between 1993 and 1999. The collection includes the celebrated “The Rules of the Game,” “Fake Independence and Real Truth,” “The Path of the Artist,” and many additional pieces. This packet reprints the complete texts of many items that are published only in excerpts on Ray Carney’s site.

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Ray Carney, Necessary Experiences—What art can show us about ourselves and our culture, softbound, approximately 170 pages (60,000 words). Available for $15.

A collection of essays and interviews on art, life, and independent film that appeared in Filmmaker, Moviemaker, The Daily Telegraph, and other places between 1999 and 2002. Ray Carney talks with Jim McKay, Cynthia Rockwell, Jake Mahaffy, and others about his impressions of Cassavetes the man, and about the lessons he learned while working on his Cassavetes on Cassavetes and Shadows books. He talks with Shelley Friedman about independent filmmaking and the importance of making a life when making a career. This packet reprints the complete texts of many items that are published only in excerpts on Ray Carney’s web site.

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Ray Carney, What's Wrong with Film Books, Film Courses, and Film Reviewing—And How to Do It Right, softbound, approximately 190 pages (80,000 words). Available for $15.

A book-length interview in which Ray Carney talks about his experiences as a classroom teacher, his views of the American media and film reviewing system, and his experiences in the world of publishing. The complete interview will be published in two parts. Part one is now available. Check back for the availability of part two in the near future. This packet reprints the complete texts of many items that are published only in excerpts on Ray Carney’s web site.

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To obtain copies of any of the three packets of material please send $15 for each item, along with your name and address, and the title of the collection you are ordering, to the following address. For faster service, you may use the PayPal button below to pay by credit card.

Ray Carney
Special Book Offer
College of Communication
640 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215

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In addition, watch for a new book by Ray Carney, tentatively titled: The Real Independent Movement: Beyond the Hype, forthcoming next year. Check back on this site for more information or to order an advance copy.

 
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These instructions apply to American shipments only. Individuals from outside the United States should email me and inquire about pricing and shipping costs for international shipments.

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This is only the "To Print" page. To go to the regular page of Ray Carney's www.Cassavetes.com on which this text appears, click here, or close this window if you accessed the "To Print" page from the regular page. Once you have brought up the regular page, you may use the menus to reach all of the other pages on the site.