tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-365502462012-01-14T19:56:49.099-08:00A collection of reflections and ruminations on magic and conjuring as an art form. An exploration into the intersection of art, magic, and meaning. Taking a stance for mystery, caring and conviction in conjuring and against the trivialization of magic.The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.comBlogger2471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-86735352852750786772012-01-14T08:40:00.001-08:002012-01-14T08:42:21.604-08:00

Scott Simon recently interviewed author, Clay Johnson, on his new book, Information Diet . The whole interview can be found here, but I wanted to point out this quote: "The question is, can we make enough people go: 'Hey, you know what? I'm done. I'm done with the sensationalism of media. I'm done being taken advantage of by media companies so that I can have ads sold to me.' ... If we want to

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-7341635426722768722012-01-14T07:30:00.001-08:002012-01-14T19:56:49.116-08:00

Imagine yourself sitting in a lecture hall, surrounded by fellow students. On the desk is a pen and a blue essay book. Your instructor says, "You have 20 minutes to answer the question on the board. Please be complete, thorough and mostly importantly truthful. There are no wrong answers." You look up at the board and read: Why do I perform magic? What is your answer? I have mine but you first.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-83152830013261874592012-01-07T07:52:00.001-08:002012-01-07T08:01:25.678-08:00

One of my friends, teachers and inspirations recently wrote: There are times when I’m doing my Mystery School Monday segment and thinking to myself, “My viewers would be better off if they shut down the computer and started practicing.”....why aren’t we all working on perfecting the effects we already have instead of constantly searching for something new? ~ Bryce Kuhlman - All I Want for

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-17826393814612881502011-12-31T07:09:00.000-08:002012-01-07T08:00:42.616-08:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." - Edith Lovejoy Pierce I have always found the notion of New Year's resolutions a bit like wishing or hoping. I believe that New Year's wants are more to my liking. Wants are answers to questions like: What do I want in my life?

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-82802954224990482942011-11-24T09:35:00.000-08:002011-11-24T09:36:58.679-08:00

Some in magic - me for example - tend to obsess over crediting, creativity and knowing that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Some have gone so far as to sue. Recently I found a video series by Kirby Ferguson entitled Everything is a Remix. Currently three of the four parts are available on his website and Vimeo. He makes a compelling case that it is all a remix. In part three, The

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-84215674291908911262011-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:002011-11-15T11:43:36.037-08:00

“The magic is you.” - Albert Goshman

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-79495484301896704682011-11-13T17:49:00.000-08:002011-11-13T17:49:48.391-08:00

I have always found it ironic that some magicians advertise themselves as a Magician and Motivational Speaker. The ones that I know who do aren't very motivated nor particularly good speakers. Being an engaging speaker - like being a good magician - is a lot of work and practice. Or maybe they just attend the Academy. You just can't make this stuff up.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-64097785700418947212011-11-11T22:41:00.000-08:002011-11-11T22:41:35.926-08:00

The study of magic is not a science, it is not an art, and it is not a religion. Magic is a craft. When we do magic, we do not wish and we do not pray. We rely upon our will and our knowledge and our skill to make a specific change to the world.- Les Grossman, The Magicians

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-88780989132384210102011-10-02T09:41:00.001-07:002011-10-02T09:42:12.809-07:00

But what does it really mean to be a "better" artist? Becoming a better artist could mean a recognizable shift in quality, skill, discipline, intensity of feeling transmitted through the artwork, a heightened ability to deliver unique and authentic beauty. Becoming a better artist might also include shifting the dimensional resonance of the world view emanating from the work.  ~ Alex Grey

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-14127513645880589482011-10-01T12:22:00.001-07:002011-11-24T09:45:57.089-08:00

A few years ago, I wrote about diversity in magic or more specifically the lack thereof. I won't repeat myself but if you should be so inclined, you can find it here. Since that time, there has been a few glimmers of hope. I would like to call your attention to the wonderful cover story on magician, musician and author, Margaret Steele, in the October 2011 M-U-M. A big thanks goes to editor,

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-80167017285218936462011-10-01T12:19:00.001-07:002011-10-02T10:51:57.754-07:00

If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.- George Bernard ShawIn October of 1960, editor and publisher, P. Howard Lyons wrote the following in his opening column of Ibidem. I suppose you all saw the Canadian Parade in a recent Linking Ring. I once made a remark indicating that the re-inventors seem to inhabit The Linking

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-90603825769955421062011-09-30T10:57:00.000-07:002011-09-30T10:57:56.073-07:00

Recently NPR posted an article about the revived television series, Charlie's Angels.  While I haven't watched it, the article leads me to believe that third time is not the charm. Reading The New 'Charlie's Angels': The Depressing Spectacle Of A Project No One Loves makes me realize how much caring about your work matters.  Eugene Burger often speaks and writes about how if we want magic to be

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-66792305488632801172011-09-25T07:29:00.001-07:002011-10-01T12:16:29.405-07:00

Good advice is hard to come by. In the magic world - especially in the online boards and magic clubs - there is endless opinion. Most is just that - opinion. Not based on experience of course. Advice comes from experience. Periodically some advice comes by that is worth noting and perhaps studying. The Journal of Secrets Manifesto is one fine example.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-18119364594085735192011-09-23T08:20:00.000-07:002011-09-23T08:20:04.402-07:00

We are caught in a loop.  We don't perform because we don't rehearse.... We don't rehearse because we don't practice....  We don't practice because.... Each of us has their own answer to the last because.  We have blocks, distractions, obligations and a myriad of reasons for not showing up. Showing up is the difference between the magician and the hobbyist or enthusiast.   I know I don't show

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-36607736068179418362011-08-28T16:24:00.001-07:002011-08-28T16:24:24.463-07:00

"To be a magician, one must believe in magic. If the self-styled magician does not sincerely and intensively believe in his own magic, how can the audience become infected so as to believe and wonder too? - S.H. Sharpe

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-66354154985701931732011-06-24T09:10:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:22:15.943-07:00

If you spend anytime around the Magic and Mystery School, you hear a paraphrase of the Voltaire quote:Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. The better is the enemy of the good. Many of us struggle with this.  How do I know when it's good?  How do I know if my improvement is an improvement?  Am I adding to or detracting from the magic I wish to co-create? In the June 2011 Genii, editor Richard Kaufman

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-17602147728192588172011-06-05T07:52:00.001-07:002011-06-05T07:52:45.993-07:00

A short video on the Conjuring Arts Research Center. I have said it many times before and will say it again: if you have a passion for magic and magic history, a membership in CARC is a great investment.Many thanks to the always amazing and resourceful Gordon for finding and sharing this first.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-88083709089731694702011-06-04T07:43:00.001-07:002011-06-04T07:43:31.633-07:00

Tricks, by definition, are rather trivial and superfluous enterprises.- Eugene Burger, Growing In The Art of Magic.I have decided that I am going to eliminate the word trick from my vocabulary. It just makes me cringe. When I consulted the dictionary, I found that trick means:1. An act or procedure intended to achieve an end by deceptive or fraudulent means.2. A mischievous action; a prank.3. A

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-6915495049385655122011-06-04T07:00:00.001-07:002011-06-04T07:00:37.471-07:00

"What do we want people to feel when they leave (our performances)?" ~ Dave Goodman, Magic, May 2011

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-25421875344513287182011-04-23T06:48:00.001-07:002011-04-23T11:30:16.047-07:00

Magic allows us to share a pleasantly magical ambiance of temporary liberation from the tyranny of natural laws. If that isn't enough, it's also a hoot! ~ Looy Simonoff (1928-2011)

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-21167143048641535392011-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:002011-04-14T12:47:55.241-07:00

When I read this, I found myself wondering if I am willing or simply wishing my performance goals to be... To will is truly to want something, to choose both the goal and the means to the goal.  This means accepting the work and the risks involved in seeing something through.  To wish, on the other hand, is only to be enamored of the goal.  ~ David Richo

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-84829816149613735172011-03-28T11:05:00.000-07:002011-03-28T11:09:01.941-07:00

Craig Conley, Gordon Meyer and I have a new book out for magicians — a guide to Annemann's classic magazine The Jinx, entitled Jinx Companion. It is available in e-book, print or you can just peruse it on line.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-1123101195381486462011-03-27T17:00:00.001-07:002011-03-28T11:01:20.213-07:00

What is my character? Who am I in performance? What is my show about? Why am I performing? ~ Eric Mead, A Talk at Magic Con, March 20, 2010

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-86016041979629337542011-03-27T16:48:00.001-07:002011-03-28T11:01:42.268-07:00

What do I love most about magic? What is my greatest asset? What do I bring to my performance that is uniquely me? What skills or personality traits do I have that make me unique? Where does it hurt? What is the biggest challenge , barrier or creative block that stands between me and my highest vision of magical success? ~ Jeff McBride, Magic, December 2010

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-58567898341946781602011-03-03T16:29:00.000-08:002011-03-03T16:29:41.672-08:00

Creativity is always at the service of the consciousness of the creator. The artist that works at the ad agency is at the service of their client. If their client sells cigarettes or whiskey, the artist might be a non-smoker or recovering alcoholic but still create ads at the service of their client. The more compromised the agenda of the creator, the more discolored is the worldview of those

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-63744116815820248292011-01-29T08:11:00.001-08:002011-03-03T16:31:02.408-08:00

The magician is one who frees the senses from the static holding patterns that they are held in by assumptions, by outmoded ways of thinking, and by the styles of speech and discourse. ~ David Abram

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-26823176877734947662011-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:002011-01-07T07:59:53.309-08:00

In 2010, I found a few items that were well worth their cost.  It comes as no surprise that all of these were books.   Books are a great value when you compare content to price.  Vortex (Tom Stone)  This collection of the works of Tom Stone was greatly anticipated by those, like me, who know his work.   In this one volume, there is close-up and platform effects and ideas as well as a few theory

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-47385866371831916042011-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:002011-01-06T08:04:18.826-08:00

The works of Alex Grey are an inspiration to me and many others.   One of my dear friends and teachers in the magical world recommended his book to me.  I have gifted copies to others over the years.   I have to admit that I am not sure any have read it.   This is best as it will be ready for them when they are... This is an excerpt from Mission of Art: Each wisdom path points to ideals of

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-4638913547371096822011-01-01T11:27:00.000-08:002011-01-02T07:40:28.044-08:00

On this first day of the new year, I found a piece from the forthcoming book, A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer and Dirt by Kyle T. Kramer. While the quote is about the art of home economics, it also rings true for performance magics:Perfection is overrated, a wise friend once told me, and aiming for it is a recipe not only for frustration but for narcissism, since it keeps you

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-76707872699174822622010-12-22T08:06:00.000-08:002010-12-22T08:06:18.241-08:00

It has been 84 years since the passing of Harry Houdini.  He is still firmly ensconced in the world's psyche.   He would be proud. While following a link for a magic related search,  I found this: Lessons in Manliness from Harry Houdini A well written piece with surprising intelligent comments.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-19493469603256984192010-11-21T08:51:00.001-08:002010-11-21T08:51:18.947-08:00

I have often wondered why so many magicians use the same old, tired and hackneyed joke and lines in the routines and shows. "Can you tell one card from another? What's the other?""May I call you Mary? What time should I call you?" "No, the clean hand. Oh that was the clean hand."It appears that it may be more serious than expected. Neurologists have identified a condition called Witzelsucht. It

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-62136422438015268762010-11-21T08:25:00.001-08:002010-11-21T08:26:16.999-08:00

Magicians are not alone in seeking acceptance by peers and the public. Musicians, actors and even balloon doggie makers seek acceptance. Best selling author and blogger, Seth Godin has some wise advice on market acceptance in his post, The Market Has No Taste. As he points out: "Great work is always shunned at first." However as performance artists, it is up to us to first create the great

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-8157743770924935702010-10-17T15:35:00.001-07:002010-10-17T18:02:32.597-07:00

There are other legitimate responses that magicians should be going for other than laughter and applause. - Eugene Burger, Growing in the Art of Magic

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-68536178576319876522010-10-17T15:13:00.001-07:002010-10-17T18:03:13.921-07:00

Magic done for the benefit of the audience becomes magic-yoga. - SH Sharpe,  A Thousand Thoughts on Art and Magic

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-4009010285239520352010-10-09T18:29:00.000-07:002010-10-09T18:30:02.136-07:00

"Every man in his youth—and who is to say when youth is ended?—meets for the last time a magician, the man who made him what he is finally to be.  In the mass, man now confronts a similar magician in the shape of his own collective brain, that unique and spreading force which in its manipulations will precipitate the last miracle, or, like the sorcerer's apprentice, wreak the last disaster. ...

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-11645135206140008152010-10-06T05:04:00.001-07:002010-10-10T16:53:38.851-07:00

While everyone needs a place to perform Works-in-Progress, please refrain from doing so in a venue where the audience is paying a cover. There are plenty of places - senior centers, hospitals - that can be testing grounds.  Just a thought.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-89945010101239350822010-10-03T19:15:00.001-07:002010-10-10T16:53:01.325-07:00

In 1976, author William Goldman published Magic. Two years later, he wrote the screenplay to the movie of the same name. It starred Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margaret and Burgess Meredith. The novel began with this preface: All magic, it goes without saying, is illusion. The effect of the illusion is how it appears to the audience. The preparation for the illusion is everything -- from the crimping

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-72048062797787188562010-09-29T14:40:00.000-07:002010-09-29T14:41:51.665-07:00

In Jinx 21, Theodore Annemann wrote: Don't overuse the wand - this will make it all the more effective when some special change or effect is introduced with its use.I wonder what he would say today.  The only time you see a magician with a wand is when they perform cups and balls.  Maybe it is time for wands to make a comeback...

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-65425721007725190102010-09-28T13:09:00.000-07:002010-09-28T13:09:42.590-07:00

A new study on practice has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience. I found an article about it on Wired titled, How Much Should We Practice? According to the study, one can learn a new skill more quickly if one combines periods of task performance with periods of "relevant background stimulation." Here is a quote from the study authors: A great deal of previous work has shown that

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-3005587498105545602010-09-06T16:44:00.001-07:002010-09-06T16:45:25.511-07:00

"It is doubtful whether a conjurer can have a greater charge against him than to say that his performance was not magical." - S.H. Sharpe, Neo-Magic

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-7640076853708583412010-09-06T16:38:00.001-07:002010-09-30T09:08:42.087-07:00

"Respect for the audience is the foundation of all legitimate actor training - speak up, speak clearly, open yourself out, relax your body, find a simple objective; practice in these goals in respect for the audience, and without respect for the audience, there is no respect for the theatre; there is only self-absorption." - David Mamet, True and FalseIf you haven't had the pleasure of reading

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-37807770930983339212010-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:002010-10-10T16:54:23.214-07:00

The secret is finally out.... "The dirty little secret that no one either mentions or believes, but one that I believe fully, is that it's highly unlikely you will ever be a great magician if you don't learn by reading."  ~  Eric Mead, Genii, August 2010

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-69382632692998851452010-06-26T18:34:00.000-07:002010-06-26T19:10:53.327-07:00

Like many, I subscribe to a few of the direct e-marketing newsletters from performers and purveyors of prestidigitation that I respect and, most importantly support. One of note is from Denny and Lee Magic . About once a week or so, a list of new and often forgotten older effects, books, and items of magical interest appear. Occasionally the lists are accompanied by words of advice from Denny  

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-66759428444056005412010-06-09T13:02:00.000-07:002010-09-30T09:10:13.630-07:00

Good friend, Mystery School alumni and one of the six people who read this blog, Robert Parker recently sent me a link to an blog post about Wrongness.  The specific post was an interview with Ira Glass of This American Life.  I have always advised anyone who would listen to me that they need to listen to This American Life to learn how to tell a great story.  But I digress... The Wrong Stuff

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-21258321591143924292010-06-03T08:33:00.000-07:002010-06-03T08:33:09.312-07:00

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe any-body, you don’t know what anybody owes you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-49008645380949665332010-05-31T12:59:00.001-07:002010-06-03T08:34:25.719-07:00

In it's highest form (which is rare, the way), magic is an intellectual pursuit: developing an imagination, the problem solving skills and the resolve to meet your vision.~ John Carney, Magic By Design: Study, Practice and Presentation

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-58927779971167861432010-05-21T10:58:00.000-07:002010-05-21T10:59:25.543-07:00

One of the joys of Mystery School is meeting like-minded souls.  One of those souls is magician and author Gordon Meyer who runs the Rebuilding A Mystery blog.  Gordon has just released a delightful book that is the culmination of a year long project to capture Tweets about magicians.  It is called 100 Under 140 and available through Amazon.  Not a page goes by without a chuckle or smile. One

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-88182193775013424192010-05-18T19:02:00.001-07:002010-05-21T04:57:15.203-07:00

I have been spending time with a few of my favorite explorers in the world of wonder: Shape, Neale, Keen and Harris.Buried deep in Volume Three of the Art of Astonishment, I (re)discovered a question and a bit of advice."What are you doing to advance the Art of Magic?""I think the thing to do is what you think needs to be done - and no one else seems to be doing. That way you will have to

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-18216636719928597412010-04-19T07:29:00.001-07:002010-04-19T10:50:55.268-07:00

image - the general impression that something (a person or organization or product) presents to the public; effect, impression - an outward appearance.When we think our image, we tend to think of our costumes, props, hair, and marketing materials. Today it's key to expand that to include our on-line presentation. Not just our web site but blogs, linkedin, Facebook and other forums. After all,

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-64893827656860107372010-04-15T16:27:00.000-07:002010-04-15T16:29:58.091-07:00

"One is bound to the conclusion that, by and large, conjurers are much better as inventors than as artists. Isolated new feats, and tricks by means of which they can be accomplished, continue to be originated all the time. But composing new and convincing sequences and dramatic plots, which is equivalent to composing music or pictures, proves to be a much more elusive accomplishment." ~ S.H.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-90557471389196485992010-04-09T17:15:00.001-07:002010-06-03T08:25:41.171-07:00

"In essence, magic consists in the dramatic creation of deceptions or illusions for the purpose of entertainment." ~ Eugene E. Gloye, Theatrical Magic, Magic, Inc. 1978

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-44177746079610381082010-04-03T09:27:00.001-07:002010-04-15T16:30:38.726-07:00

"The real secrets of magic are the secrets of how to keep secrets." ~ S. H. Sharpe, Though Magic-Coloured Spectacles, The Magic Circular 1974

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-23373719539967107262010-04-03T07:31:00.000-07:002010-04-15T16:29:43.905-07:00

"Magic is the most complexly simple or most simply complex of all arts known to stage craft. The eye, the hand, the voice, all combine to confuse and deceive. The drama, serious, sentimental, or comic - all present things as they are, but magic reverses the natural order of things and presents them as unreal and unnatural, but in the guise of truth." ~ Dr. A. M. Wilson, The Sphinx (November 1925)

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-3360604019367347142010-03-31T16:25:00.001-07:002010-04-15T16:31:54.012-07:00

I recently spotted this quote: "Some singers want the audience to love them. I love the audience." ~ Luciano Pavarotti I was thinking that it could apply to magicians too. Most of the time is spent being concerned about our "stuff" - you know - the props, the sleights, the costume, to name a few. What if we spent some time focused on our audience, our participants, on what is important to

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-62734191123036018702010-03-29T19:15:00.001-07:002010-03-30T07:45:42.476-07:00

"To put it another way; magic is, and remains, in large part and at heart, play—play of the highest kind, play of the noblest order, play of the sort that includes things as unlike Cubist picture making and The Magic Flute. Its roots in play make it, so to speak, hard to play in a minor key, or at least in a tragic one. It is not just an entry into another world, but one we recognize as partial

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-12957791006466464532010-03-27T08:13:00.001-07:002010-03-30T07:47:46.291-07:00

"For magic to be truly meaningful, it is necessary for the magician to have an inward spiritual understanding of man in relation to the world and the cosmos." - S.H. Sharpe, A Thousand Thoughts on Art and Magic, Art and Magic

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-23348263849311860852010-03-03T12:27:00.001-08:002010-04-02T08:44:21.806-07:00

"Let's say, practice every day for thirty minutes, and then think or read about it for another thirty. Is this enough to become a great magician? No, but it is more than most magicians ever do and it will put you light years above the rest. Find joy in your practice as well as your performance." - John Carney, Magic By Design: Study, Practice and Presentation On a related note: if you want to

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-39396730582581852412010-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:15:14.442-08:00

The Eccentric Scholar, Craig Conley, has a wonderful resource for all words magical - appropriately titled Magic Words.  It is an impressive collection of terms that capture the feeling of magic and wonder. In my work on the path of the magician, I have been searching for a term to describe the effortlessness of a magical artist.   You have seen an example of this rare performer too.  The magic

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-84807348472113191282010-02-19T08:36:00.000-08:002010-02-19T08:37:09.737-08:00

An inspirational piece from artists, Alex and Allyson Grey: As each moment arises, Appreciate it aesthetically, Contemplate it symbolically, Like the expression of the greatest Most profound artist composer Dramatist. Ultimately, all events and Artifacts are Emanations of One Cosmic Creative Force. Follow the light of love Back to the core of your being And bring divine radiance Into all of

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-35491580770427132732010-01-31T06:43:00.000-08:002010-04-15T16:32:43.286-07:00

"Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent." - Rumi

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-43070466640946818222010-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:002010-01-22T14:53:44.663-08:00

The January issue of The Believer, a literary magazine, contains an essay by novelist, Chris Bachelder, about surprise.  Surprise is one of the many goals of performance magicians state when asked what they wish to achieve in their performances.  Other answers include wonder, astonishment, and the ever-popular, to blow them away. While Mr. Bachelder is referring to literary surprise, he offers

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-78069058242472505092010-01-12T17:46:00.001-08:002010-01-13T08:12:35.276-08:00

"Magic is the highest art form you can aspire to... ...Real magic is the center of astonishment." - Paul Harris, True Astonishments, vol. 9, Final Interview

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-81002645687136639422009-12-25T13:00:00.000-08:002009-12-25T17:20:29.739-08:00

My Mystery School friend, George Parker, has posted a magical video about reflecting on our lives and the passing of time.  It is entitled New Year 2010.  It is five minutes well spent. Hope that your holiday season is bright and magical!

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-40774703365741682462009-12-19T14:20:00.000-08:002009-12-19T14:48:14.153-08:00

As many know, Frank “Fakini” Radtke passed away Sunday, November 8, 2009.   He was the creator of the popular silicon balls used by magicians.   Based on two recent newsletters from performing pro turned magic dealer, Denny Haney, the work of Fakini is becoming rare in just a month and half.   When Goshman passed, people wondered who would pick up his work and it was answered by his son.  With

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-24626970923245721152009-12-05T08:39:00.000-08:002009-12-05T08:39:43.689-08:00

In the November 2009 edition of the US Airways magazine, there is a (paid) feature called the Best of Las Vegas. I quote:"No Cirque show has audiences talking quite as much as Criss Angel  BeLIEve."

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-87559638634165073582009-11-27T10:20:00.000-08:002009-11-27T10:20:57.922-08:00

If you have spent any time reading the words or listening to the talks of Eugene Burger, then you know that he encourages you to be selective of who you listen to for advice about your magic or, in my opinion, any part of your life.   For me, the number of people I listen - really listen to and hear - can be counted on one hand. When others offer me advice, I do not ignore them.  I thank them and

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-31701527194595380902009-11-26T14:32:00.000-08:002009-11-26T14:32:49.923-08:00

Magic is a faculty of wonderful virtue, full of most high mysteries, containing the most profound contemplation of most secret things, together with the nature, power, quality, substance and virtues thereof, as also the knowledge of whole Nature, and it doth instruct us concerning the differing and agreement of things amongst themselves, whence it produceth its wonderful effects, by uniting the

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-18304756173542144362009-11-05T08:30:00.000-08:002009-11-26T14:23:51.942-08:00

Zen Habits is a lovely little blog of the useful and practical. While I have never met the author, its seems like his whole self is in the right place. This post tackles the facts and illusion of becoming good and then great at a vocation or avocation. Worth the time to read, print and re-read often. The Only Way to Become Amazingly Great at Something

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-5901044914984753462009-11-02T08:25:00.000-08:002009-11-26T14:24:09.341-08:00

I recently posted a pointer to Wonder as a spiritual practice. The same site, Spirituality and Practice also lists Imagination as a spiritual practice. Maybe magicians and conjurers are onto something....

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-69606027245885882832009-10-15T12:27:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:24:39.472-08:00

Doug Henning and S.H. Sharpe often spoke and wrote about the magician's role in evoking wonder. But I sometime wonder if we, as magicians, have lost our sense of wonder. We tend to get tied up in the technical end of the performance and forgot about the experience of the performance. I recently found that the site, Spirituality and Practice, looks at wonder as a spiritual practice. While this

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-45852109541752014812009-10-12T07:43:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:24:53.203-08:00

Not another magic video from YouTube? No, not this morning. Here is a piece from the Purple Cow signing party with Seth Godin , Hugh MacLeod and others on creativity.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-12640853818482740242009-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:39:46.305-08:00

One of the issues about being a performance magician is having to do everything yourself. You are a performer, writer, director, choreographer, marketer and all of the other hats that we tend to wear. One way out of this quandary is to get help. If you don't believe me, here is the same advice from someone much sharper than me. Watch: Eric Schmidt: Everyone needs a coach

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-15186776296180735522009-10-02T15:14:00.001-07:002009-11-26T14:40:13.321-08:00

I was wondering if other forms of art have on-line discussion boards. For example, do painters have the Painter's Cafe? Are there threads arguing which palette knife is best? Do dancers have Dancer's Cafe? Are there threads arguing which of the classical ballet styles has more impact? No, I didn't think so either.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-79995339283508625182009-10-01T09:50:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:25:14.050-08:00

In March 2008, I pointed to the manifesto, How to be Creative by Hugh MacLeod. It has been expanded into a book, Ignore Everybody. You need to read it. This is from Chapter Three: 3. Put the hours in. Doing anything worthwhile takes fore­ver. 90% of what sepa­ra­tes suc­cess­ful peo­ple and fai­led peo­ple is time, effort, and stamina.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-80687164168575730612009-09-04T09:44:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:28:32.914-08:00

Energy flows where attention goes... I was unable to find who said this first but it has been attributed to James Arthur Ray, Serge Kahili King, Michael Bernard Beckwith, and others. It is just my compulsion for accurate attribution. Another way of putting it is a quote I have heard Eugene Burger use: Your god is where you spend your time. Recently, the folks at Change This! have released a

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-582909355954509002009-08-24T09:09:00.001-07:002009-11-26T14:42:31.384-08:00

I imagine that many magicians will now need to get new business cards since this tag line has been taken.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-6391724157534376382009-08-23T13:16:00.000-07:002009-11-26T14:43:06.087-08:00

I will admit that I read Brad Henderson's reviews in Magic to see what product ended up on the skewer. His comments on the one-trick DVDs are always worth the time. On the other hand, I have to admit that I found his review of True Astonishments to be off the mark. As magical blogger and performer, Gordon, pointed out Brad and John Lovick must have split up the disks and couldn't have

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-17063421814502019232009-08-09T17:48:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:42:02.951-07:00

My periodic scan of the greater magic web sometimes includes Wayne Kawamoto at about.com. Recently there was a post that caught my eye: Magic and the Fine Arts. At first, I thought it may be a discussion of what would it take for magic to move to a higher art. However, it was about how works of art can be incorporated as a prop. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed.When it

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-11691478112247539152009-07-28T08:53:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:42:50.058-07:00

Over at Seth Godin's blog, he shared four short videos from a panel he participated with Tom Peters. As a fan of both gentlemen, I would recommend spending the time to watch, listen, and ruminate. Four videos about noise, social and decency

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-70081351653757588412009-07-26T14:40:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:43:56.778-07:00

I was recently listening to a podcast where the speaker was talking about being ambassadors for our country whenever we leave our home, for our racial and/or ethnic identity whenever we interact with others, or for whatever tribe we claim alliance.This is particularly important for us as performance magicians. For majority of people, we may be the only magician that they ever see or meet in

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-75683402751402638782009-07-09T08:28:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:48:23.627-07:00

The always interesting and often thought provoking Seth Godin has a post about an experiment conducted by Google to see what people thought about browsers, search engines and their product, Chrome. Seth asks if this may be a new way to obtain customer feedback on one's product or service.What this triggered for me is: Would one of us be willing (or brave enough) to go out and ask similar

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-41266966326899735772009-06-22T15:51:00.001-07:002009-08-23T13:50:10.056-07:00

The Amateur versus Professional is one of the long running debates in performance magic. Some look at income source while others look at time. My line of demarcation has always been the manner with which one performs and has nothing to do with income.For a different take, here is a recent post at the Artful Manager.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-43091795705803781712009-06-16T11:42:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:50:57.192-07:00

Strictly a rhetorical question....Each month, I scan the list of the top 10 selling books, tricks, and DVDs listed in Genii. Each time, I wonder, "How many units does it require to be a top seller?"

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-10808739642020160552009-06-04T08:13:00.001-07:002009-08-24T09:15:32.073-07:00

I have been rereading the republished and enhanced, Magic and Meaning. I find that when I revisit books I have read in the past, I tend to find something new. Maybe not new but overlooked in previous readings. This quote gave me quite a bit to think about this morning: A real magic show is not an arena for secular distraction but a relatively safe place for us to experience the sacred. ~

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-32839471399772782892009-06-04T07:42:00.001-07:002009-08-24T09:15:52.463-07:00

Real magic, in other words, refers to magic that is not real, while the magic that is real, that can actually be done, is not real magic. ~ Lee Siegel, Net of Magic: Wonders and Deceptions in India, page 425

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-24234801617600521702009-05-21T16:16:00.001-07:002009-05-21T16:17:19.903-07:00

On March 1, 2002, I had the opportunity to see Tom Stone give an extended lecture. It was being filmed to serve as a basis for a book that, for one reason or another, never materialized. I found Tom’s magic to original, creative, and very magical. While the book is mystery, he has a series of e-books and one DVD available. The latter is a gem and contains one of my favorite pieces, A Toast

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-29286355683807677132009-05-11T07:50:00.001-07:002009-05-11T07:50:27.589-07:00

A new manifesto has hit the web over at Change This on public speaking.  I bring this to your attention as whether we recognize it or not, magicians are public speakers.  Author Nick Morgan offers four problems and potential solutions for your review, perusal, and edification.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-85050852134646983372009-05-06T20:59:00.001-07:002009-06-04T08:13:58.886-07:00

"Magic is not tricks. Tricks in themselves are not more than puzzles. A trick becomes a mystery, a thing of enjoyment to the beholder, only in proportion to the degree of dramatic interest with which it is endowed by its exhibitor." - Fred Keating, “Magic As Theatre” Tarbell 6

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-7368350559539293982009-04-30T08:55:00.001-07:002009-04-30T08:55:53.777-07:00

As you know, the neo-classic, Magic and Meaning has been expanded and reprinted.   The book is now shipping.  If you have not read it, do yourself a favor and take advantage of the special offer from Hermetic Press. Near the end of the e-mail announcing the shipping of the book was this statement: Many magicians, amateur and professional alike, perform blind, with little or no understanding

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-77757696376965830052009-04-08T16:28:00.001-07:002009-04-08T16:28:40.960-07:00

One of my favorite comedians of all time is Buster Keaton, and that was his kind of style, too.  He’d be trying to get his house off a train track with his wife, and you’d see the train coming.  They can’t get the house off the track and all the time the train is coming closer.  Finally, the train reaches them and they see it was actually on a parallel track – it goes by.  But that isn’t the

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-75724713087521920302009-03-27T12:32:00.000-07:002009-03-27T12:34:16.888-07:00

Thanks to a reference on Daniel Pink’s blog, I found my way to the site of Jonathan Mann. Jonathan is a Berkley-based musician who set out to write and record a song a day. He is sharing them on his site, Rock Bottom Cookie. While listening to some of his creations, I wondered if one could set out to create one magic effect day? Naturally some would be abismal but what would be the trigger one

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-21332673022264827062009-03-27T10:17:00.001-07:002009-03-27T10:17:33.823-07:00

R. Buckminster Fuller was considered a futurist, designer, systemic thinker amongst other accolades.   I have always thought of him as a real wizard.  Have you ever really looked a Geodesic Dome? I came across this quote of his this morning.   It struck me that if you take out the word, problem, and inserted the phrase, magic effect, it rings true to our work. When I'm working on a problem,

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-29741969535082148712009-03-22T07:41:00.001-07:002009-03-22T07:47:37.576-07:00

Osho was one of the gurus who came to the west to share Eastern philosophy and practices. Like all of us, he was still a human with faults and karma to be worked out in this incarnation. I would recommend reading some of his works along with Trungpa, Krishnamurti, and Yogananda.Existence is not a problem to be solved, it is a mystery to be lived. A problem is something created by the mind; a

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-40768944394961956872009-03-13T10:13:00.000-07:002009-03-13T10:16:25.115-07:00

This just in from WebMD:Mind Reading Not Just Science Fiction?Study Uses MRI Brain Scans to Trace Spatial Memories in Video Game PlayersBy Miranda Hitti WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MDMarch 13, 2009 -- Researchers report success in a first attempt at mind reading -- at least, in hindsight. In a new study, four healthy young men in England played a video game that challenged them to

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-21966866048858731542009-03-06T16:10:00.001-08:002009-03-06T16:10:41.895-08:00

This just in from Stan Kramien… DUE TO OUR EXTREMELY FRAGILE ECONOMY, HICH EFFECTS OUR JAMBOREE IN SO MANY WAYS, AND AFTER A LOT OF CONSIDERATION, WE HAVE DECIDED TO CANCELL THE 2009 MAGIC JAMBOREE.  THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE REGISTERED, WILL SOON RECIEVE A LETTER OF EXPLANATION, AND OF COURSE A COMPLETE REFUND,,,,IF YOU HAVE MADE MOTEL RESERVATIONS, YOU SHOULD CALL AND CANCEL.,,,WE DO HOPE TO

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-60602690520430507712009-03-02T12:58:00.001-08:002009-03-02T12:58:27.954-08:00

Today is the 105th Birthday of Dr. Seuss – a word wizard whose works will live for many generations. In honor of the good doctor, I am posting the words to one of my favorite Seuss pieces, “What was I scared of?”  which is also known as “The Pale Green Pants.”  I never heard this piece until the fire circle at the Mystery School reunion.   We were treated to a delightful rendition by Kevin Dunn.

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-67342723974898873472009-02-24T09:05:00.000-08:002009-02-24T09:08:49.969-08:00

Remain in wonder if you want the mysteries to open up for you. Mysteries never open up for those who go on questioning. Questioners sooner or later end up in a library. Questioners sooner or later end up with scriptures, because scriptures are full of answers. And answers are dangerous, they kill your wonder. - Osho

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-46257640365522944462009-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:002009-02-24T09:05:11.333-08:00

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it." - William Arthur Ward

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-42905568817885120412009-02-13T14:40:00.001-08:002009-02-13T14:40:21.972-08:00

While most magic magazines are run with a small staff, I find it amazing that the Linking Ring, Magic or Genii do not spend anytime helping their Non-English speaking advertisers.   All it would take is a few moments in an email or phone call to help an advertiser understand that their ad is almost incomprehensible.  Since discretion is the better part of valor, I will not list any here as we

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36550246.post-20030478361532728052009-02-13T14:25:00.001-08:002009-02-13T14:25:45.501-08:00

The February issue of the official publication of the International Brotherhood of Magicians is arriving in mailboxes around the globe.   Mail carriers have light burden as this is issue is noticeably smaller.  From my estimation, it is 10 pages smaller.  While 10 pages does not seem like much, but if one compares it to the average issue of 180 pages, it is almost 6% reduction. A quick perusal

The Conjurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888276950026772241noreply@blogger.com2