Fredrick Turner

Reflections

Magic

  • What is Magic?

    TWO Magic is the use of the imagination to create and manipulate images with the assumption that they manipulate their counterparts in everyday life. Magic is greed, action motivated by extreme desire that cannot be satisfied by the more usual means. Magic is fooling people; either oneself or others or both, doing so intentionally, unintentionally, Continue reading

  • Book Notes: Teaching Magic: A Book for Students and Teachers of the Art

    With the completion of the trilogy of posthumous books of Eugene Burger material by Lawrence Hass, the book which would be his final may be overlooked and, perhaps, forgotten. Teaching Magic: A Book for Students and Teachers of the Art (Theory and Art of Magic Press, 2017) is a small volume – only about 175 Continue reading

    ,
    , ,

  • Orson Welles on the State of Magic

    In 1948, magician and mystery author, Bruce Elliott published the first his of four books for the general public. I don’t believe if any of them are still in print. They are available in the second hand book dealers. I’m certain that an ebook is available at Lybrary.com for a small fee, All are worthy Continue reading

  • Training Our Customers

    While 2023’s formal Black Friday sales have come and gone, there are residual sales that remain. Many are extending through the weekend. Others began a week or two ago. It’s quite the consumer holiday. Fortunately for brick and mortar retailers, the mayhem of people fighting over products seems to have decreased. Black Friday has become Continue reading

    , ,

  • What Is Magic?

    ONE Many years ago, I attended a lecture by Michael Close. I believe it was the last tour before he and his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While he shared many great effects, one thing he said that has stuck with me is that each of us needs to define what magic is to Continue reading

  • Teaching and Learning Magic

    I taught a twelve week magic class at a community college in the late 1980’s. It’s said that if you want to learn a skill, teach it to others and my experience agrees. Through some trial and error, I built a solid progression for the participants from no skill effects to effects requiring beginners sleights Continue reading

    , ,

  • Extinction of Exclusivity

    During the late 1970’s through the early 1990’s, I planned my month of January around the MagiFest. Initially it wasn’t difficult as I was in college or working in the Pittsburgh area. Then in 1980 I began a decade long stint in the consulting industry. Attending required finessing travel arrangements. No matter what the obstacle, Continue reading

Catagories