Carny: Americana on the Midway

Tom Waits lyrics are being used in Virginia Lee Hunter's new photo book Carny: Americana on the Midway, a publication with interviews and photographs which look at the Carnival as both pop culture and sub-culture of Americana.


There is also a documentary directed by Alison Murray based on the book. The page on Amazon.com says that the documentary will be screened in 2007, but apparently that is incorrect, as MS. Hunter confirms it will not be shown till the spring of 2008.

UPDATE. Here's a small comment by Virginia Lee Hunter herself about her contacts with Tom and Kathleen;

Tom and Kathleen Waits were friends of mine from long ago. We were neighbors back in the mid 80's in Echo Park. I used to baby sit their kids. They were very dear to me and although we haven't been in touch for decades, when I approached Tom and asked to contribute somehow to 'Carny', my book, he was very kind in offering me the use 'Circus'. Both Tom and Kathleen were influential to me as a young artist in how I saw life and those I encountered. In mixing a story or conveying an observation, mix equal parts truth and compassion, and top off with a twist of irony.

And about the documentary:

I met Alison Murray at a hobo convention when she was making a documentary on her trainhopping experiences, called 'Train on the Brain'. I was hopping freights then. Carny The film is in final editing stages and will play festivals before landing at Channel 4, TV Ontario and The Sundance Channel in spring 2008. This info was finalized after the printing of my book. Although, Tom offered the lyrics of 'Circus' for my book 'Carny:Americana on the Midway', the musical score for the film will be by Don Kerr, a Canadian musician due to the film's Canadian production. Don, however, is a huge fan of Tom's.