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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
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Everyone’s an Individual and Independent
In 2023, I read Paolo Bacigalupi‘s wonderful sci-fi novel, The Windup Girl. I would call it ecological dystopian fiction. It was his first adult audience book as he has written young adult books too. In The Windup Girl, Bacigalupi created a world that felt real – especially in light of higher temperatures, atmospheric rivers, and… Continue reading
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Book Notes: Falling Down
I’m not sure how to begin. A simple summary may suffice: this book wasn’t for me. There were times I wanted to set it aside and move on to another book. Falling Down (Chronos Publishing, 2022) is the first novel by UK artist and magician, Jay Fortune. Some of you may know him from his… Continue reading
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Nealist Questions to Wonder About
When I see performances of magic, my questions to the magicians are two: Who are you?What do you care about? Sometimes I am asking because I have received no clues other than that they watch Jeff McBride and read magic catalogs or magazines. And sometimes they find the questions difficult to answer. I do not… Continue reading
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Art and Magic
The discussion – some may say argument – of whether magic is art is evergreen. It pops up in the online forums as regular as dandelions in the spring. I don’t believe it will ever be settled to the satisfaction of either side of the fence. If you can find it, magician and filmmaker, R.… Continue reading