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Some Things Change…
About a decade ago, I decided that after reaching the status of Order of Merlin: Shield that it was time to stop paying dues and leave the International Brotherhood of Magicians. We had moved to a spot where attending any Ring meetings was a logistical challenge. Most importantly, I felt my involvement had run its… Continue reading
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Reacting to Stuff
“Conditions are always neutral. They seem either sad or happy depending on the sad or happy attitudes of the mind.” Paramhansa Yogananda “The cause of my irritation is not in this person but in me.” Anthony de Mello, The Way to Love Events, occurrences, interactions are all just stuff. Stuff is what most of our… Continue reading
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Revisiting: Shadowland
In 1980, Peter Straub (1943-2022) published Shadowland. I didn’t read it until it came out in paperback a year or so later. I read other books by Staub before and since however this is the one I return to every few years. Shadowland is the story of Tom and Del, two young teenagers who become… Continue reading
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Digital Loss
Recently I found a forgotten disc that I received from Todd Karr’s Miracle Factory for my patience in waiting for one book or another to be delivered. It’s titled Annemann’s Enigma and I believe the contents that became a portion of the book of the same name. I don’t remember if I mentioned it before… Continue reading
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Revisiting: Magic In Mind
The adage goes, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” In our day-to-day transactional world, this is true more often than not. Quid pro quo tends to be our motto. Occasionally there are some things that come without explicit expectations of getting something in return. One is the ebook, Magic In Mind, compiled by… Continue reading
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Book Notes: The Water Knife
Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Water Knife (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015) is his second ecological dystopian novel for the adult sci-fi market. As I mentioned in another post, I read his first, The Windup Girl (Night Shade Books, 2009), in 2023. I thought The Windup Girl was amazing so I was excited to pick up The Water… Continue reading
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Carney on Learning
John Carney is a true master. I return often to his books for help and inspiration. I recently found this passage on learning in his Book of Secrets. I know it rings true for me so it may for you too. Most magicians give up too quickly when they meet a challenge in technique. If… Continue reading