Audiobooks From Slate logo

Audiobook

Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century

By Dana Stevens

List Price: $23.99

In this genre-defying work of cultural history, the chief film critic of Slate places comedy legend and acclaimed filmmaker Buster Keaton’s unique creative genius in the context of his time.

Born the same year as the film industry in 1895, Buster Keaton began his career as the child star of a family slapstick act reputed to be the most violent in vaudeville. Beginning in his early twenties, he enjoyed a decade-long stretch as the director, star, stuntman, editor, and all-around mastermind of some of the greatest silent comedies ever made, including Sherlock Jr., The General, and The Cameraman.

Even through his dark middle years as a severely depressed alcoholic finding work on the margins of show business, Keaton’s life had a way of reflecting the changes going on in the world around him. He found success in three different mediums at their creative peak: first vaudeville, then silent film, and finally the experimental early years of television. Over the course of his action-packed seventy years on earth, his life trajectory intersected with those of such influential figures as the escape artist Harry Houdini, the pioneering Black stage comedian Bert Williams, the television legend Lucille Ball, and literary innovators like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Samuel Beckett.

In Camera Man, film critic Dana Stevens pulls the lens out from Keaton’s life and work to look at concurrent developments in entertainment, journalism, law, technology, the political and social status of women, and the popular understanding of addiction. With erudition and sparkling humor, Stevens hopscotches among disciplines to bring us up to the present day, when Keaton’s breathtaking (and sometimes life-threatening) stunts remain more popular than ever as they circulate on the internet in the form of viral gifs. Far more than a biography or a work of film history, Camera Man is a wide-ranging meditation on modernity that paints a complex portrait of a one-of-a-kind artist.

ISBN: 9781797139975
Published: January 25, 2022
By: Dana Stevens
Read by: Dana Stevens

©2022 Stevens (P)2022 Simon & Schuster Audio

Listen in these apps:

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Overcast
  • Pocket Casts
  • iTunes
  • Podcast Addict

Buy

By purchasing, you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.
Buy a gift

FAQ

How will I listen to my exclusive podcast or audiobook?

You can listen in your preferred podcast app.

Can I use my current podcast app?

We support Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Castbox, BeyondPod, Downcast, PlayerFM, Breaker, and RadioPublic.

Sorry, but we do not support Stitcher, Podbean, or NPR One.

You’ll also be able to listen to your audiobook or podcast purchase online.

What types of payment do you accept?

You can pay with any major credit cards, as well as Apple Pay on iOS and Google Pay on Android.

Who made this?

Your seamless listening experience is powered by Supporting Cast. Contact help@supportingcast.fm for support.

Wait, I don't understand—I can use a podcast app to listen to an audiobook?

Yup, that’s right! Listen to audiobooks in the same place you spend hours listening to your favorite podcasts. No new apps to download, no subscription fees. You get lower prices, too, because nobody had to build a fancy new app.

I don't see the book I'm looking for.

Browse our catalog to see all books currently on sale.

The store just launched, so please excuse our appearance as we continue to build out the site navigation and shopping cart experience.

Why should I buy my audiobooks from Slate and Supporting Cast?

Learn more about the store here.