Rebuilding A Mystery

Performing in Magic Chicago (May 2, 2012)

This week, on May 2, 2012, I'll be performing in Magic Chicago. Also in this month's show are Eugene Burger, Steve Vaught, and Magic Sam.

I'm in the Linking Ring!

Not too long ago I attended a Joshua Jay lecture at the "Chicago" Ring 43. I just got my copy of The Linking Ring, and to my surprise, I'm in the photo they ran! Whoo-hoo!

Prelude to a story

Tomorrow night (Oct 5) the audience at Magic Chicago will learn the story of how I came to possess this strange and spooky item.

Performing at Magic Chicago, Oct 2011

Next week, on October 5, 2011, I'll be performing in Magic Chicago. There are three magicians on the bill this month, and my segment will be brief, but I'm cooking up something to welcome the start of the Hallowe'en season.

Look. At. Me.

Marco, a software developer who's blog and work that I admire, writes about an interview with an orchestral musician in Countless Hours of Work Just to Be Invisible.. He calls out the observation that professional musicians spend countless of hours mastering the art of disappearing while playing. It's all about getting the music right, and getting the hell out of the way of the way of the song. Marco goes on to observe that the same thought applies to great design and software.

Doesn't this also apply to magic? Many magicians insert themselves into the performance in ways that dierespect the mystery, and as a whole, our culture values those who "improve" upon the classics by discovering new ways to further distract the audience. If we sought to demonstrate our respect by making the show about the performance, rather than the performer, would we get more respect in return?

Perspective on exposure

In Secret Agenda (pg May 1) Roberto Giobbi writes about finding a German magic book in the library when he was a young man. A book for which the author was expelled from the German magic circle for writing. Without exposure, magic dies. Certainly nobody can argue that getting Giobbi hooked on magic was bad for the art.

Review: Virtual Magic Pro

My review of Virtual Magic Pro, a collection of iPhone magic tricks, is available at My Lovely Assistant.

McBride Mystery and Magic School

A behind the scenes snapshot from this week's broadcast. Remember, monday is a school night. See McBride TV for into about tuning into the hour-long sessions that features magicians broadcasting from, quite literally, all over the globe.

Review: Flaunt

My review of Flaunt is now available at "My Lovely Assistant."

A book about The Jinx

Craig Conley, Fredrick Turner, and I have recently published what is best described as a reader's guide to THE JINX. I know that many of you have read all of The Jinx, but if you haven't, our book hopes to entice you and guide your exploration of the legendary publication.

You can browse our book for free on the web, or purchase a PDF or printed copy for offline perusal at The Jinx Companion page.

(For anyone who was at Magic & Meaning 2010 conference, this is a spinoff of our "One Jinxed Year" collaborative reading project.)