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The Phoenix: Volume 1 Number Two
The second issue of the Phoenix arrived on February 14, 1942. According to the Backroom, the editors were still trying to determine the frequency of publication. They eventually settled on bi-weekly – meaning every two weeks. (The confusion with bi-weekly versus bi-monthly has always been a pet peeve.) The lead effect was Bruce Elliott’s Hard… Continue reading
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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
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The Phoenix: Volume 1 Number 1
From January, 1942 through February, 1954, the Phoenix ran for 300 issues under the editorship of Walter Gibson and Bruce Elliott. It was the direct descendant of the Jinx which ended in December 1941 with the untimely death of Theodore Annemann. With two good friends, I spent a few years digging through the Jinx that… Continue reading
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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
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Book Notes: Bert Allerton: Gentleman Magician
Chicago area magician and author, Chuck Romero, quietly released his latest work without much fanfare. If I hadn’t been scanning through the latest posts on the Genii forum, I may have missed it. Romano previously released books on the life and work of Paul Rosini and the artwork and design of magic illustrations. Both works… Continue reading
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Book Notes: When The Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, And How America Cracked Up In The Early 1990’s
John Ganz’s When The Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, And How America Cracked Up In The Early 1990’s was listed on many best of nonfiction books for 2024. I would say justifiably so. Ganz has done an amazing job researching and weaving together the history of the first few years of the 1990’s. In the… Continue reading
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Minimum Requirements
In the opening essay of Shattering Illusions, Jamy Ian Swiss states: When you fool the audience you indeed fulfill the essential mandate of your job. But you have in no way come even remotely close to completing the job-much less having done the job well.There must — simply must — be some larger end in… Continue reading