Magic
-
Book Notes: Reality Is Magic
Anson Chen’s Reality Is Magic is one of the year’s end releases from the UK-based publisher, Ultra Neat Ltd. Ultra Neat appeared on the magic scene in the spring of 2019 with the publication of The Neat Review: London. It was followed up with New York City in the summer of 2019 and Tokyo in… Continue reading
-
Book Notes: Stage By Stage
I remember when John Graham’s Stage by Stage was released (Vanishing Inc., 2021). However 2020-2021 was a challenging time for all of us. I’ll use that as my excuse for putting it on the back burner. The premise – building a stand-up/platform show from where you are with your existing material – was intriguing to… Continue reading
-
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