Reflections
-
Monsters Abound
Seattle area writer, Claire Dederer, wrote a piece for the Paris Review in 2017 entitled, What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men? She expanded this into the book, Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma in 2023. It was on my library “for later” virtual shelf since it arrived. It was the recent revelations of… Continue reading
-
Toni Forster on Magic Books
Until recently I had not heard of Dr. Forster. I purchased Ted Lesley’s Paramiracles published by Hermetic Press book from a second hand dealer. It had come out about 30 years ago and, for some reason, hadn’t shown up on my radar screen. Dr. Forster was a friend and confidant of Lesley’s and, for a… Continue reading
-
Revisiting: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Originally published in 2004, Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell remains one of my favorite magical fiction books. Its page count is close to 800 which I believe many find intimidating. However it’s a journey I’ve made many times. One may ask why reread books especially when there are many new books published every… Continue reading
-
Exploring Performance
Magic, whether you consider it an art or a craft or, perhaps, both, only exists for a moment or two. The performer and the audience co-create an experience that triggers a reaction and an emotion. Magic doesn’t exist outside of the performance space between the performers and the participants. It’s relational. It doesn’t exist in… Continue reading
-
Discussing Discussions
One of the most interesting things about the internet and magic has been the discussion boards. It’s seems that there have been boards since the beginning. The longevity proves that no matter what magicians of all kinds have opinions about everything and are willing to share it. Excluding social media platforms and Reddit, there seems… Continue reading
-
New Year’s Eve
The year is coming to an end. Was it a good year? Yes, all in all. Was it challenging? Yes, at times. In retrospect, all years are a bit of both. I’m sure that there’s a good chance your year was the same. No matter what you plan for 2025, I hope it’s a great… Continue reading
-
Astonishment Is Our Natural State Of Mind
In the December 1996 edition of Genii magazine, the cover featured Paul Harris. Paul has been instrumental in changing the state of close-up magic since the mid 1970’s. I wasn’t aware of him until the early 80’s after the release of Close-up Entertainer and Las Vegas Close-up. Since 1984 and the publication of Close-up Seductions,… Continue reading