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Richy Roy – Maxims of a Magician – review

Phil Sweeting — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 20:14:04 +0000

Maxims of a Magician is the second book by Richy Roy that we have reviewed here. You can read our review of The Wealthy Magician here.

The Wealthy Magician was a very applied book – looking at the business side of marketing and sales and value for a magician. Maxims of a Magician is a very different kind of book. As its name implies it is full of short ‘maxims’ followed by a brief (paragraph) unpackings of the same. There are 116 maxims in all.

It is a very difficult book to review because of its format and content. Some of the maxims seem to obvious that they hardly need stating (e.g. “Every Magician will have bad shows”!) – yet at the same time there is something liberating in having the truth of such statements ‘confirmed’ in print.

There are maxims and there are maxims…

For every ‘state the obvious’ maxim there are plenty more that are more thought-provoking or profound. For my money, some of the maxims about relating to other magicians are well worth taking on board, and some of the maxims about the life of a magician beyond the stage are also worth reflecting on.

There are some maxims which seem a little repetitious. And, if I am completely honest, there are some which seem a little vague. There is a Yoda-like form to some of the sayings which is not always clarified in the explanatory paragraphs – sometimes it feels like terms are not clearly enough defined. This may be a deliberate strategy to encourage the reader to reflect further on the matter themselves, but I found myself a little confused at times.

For me, one of the overriding values of the book is the way it gently encourages you to keep improving and growing and reflecting on what you are doing. So many new/inexperienced magicians are happy simply to trot out the same old stuff as everyone else, but I think Maxims of a Magician encourages you to reflect more deeply on what you are doing and why you are doing it. Regular readers will know that this is an aspect of our art that I value deeply and so I applaud the sub-text behind many of these maxims.

For a magic book lover, there is also a list of 56 recommended magic books at the back (of which I have a slightly disappointing 28!). There are some good suggestions here – though the order seems entirely random.

This is the sort of book that I think is well worth reading for a beginner or even a slightly more experienced magician – and probably worth coming back to every year or two. It is nicely produced as a small perfect-bound paperback running to 148 pages. At this size it feels just a little-overpriced to me.

You can pick up Maxims of a Magician for £21.99 from our friends at MagicShop.co.uk.

(Or just a notch cheaper at Amazon – if you don’t want to support a real bricks and mortar magic shop!)

I’m grateful to Richy Roy for providing a review copy of this book.

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George Parker – Performing Magic with Impact – review

Phil Sweeting — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 23:01:08 +0000

Performing Magic with Impact is a difficult book to categorise. It makes a bold claim in its title? Does it deliver on the promise? Let’s get in to our review.

Speaking from experience

A great starting point for this book is that it is written by a practitioner. There are many books on magic theory, but not all are written by people who perform. This one is.

I’m going to walk you through the chapters because it is quite difficult to summarise.

The ‘introduction’ consists of an interview with George Parker. He explains the context for much of his work – which is in the field of corporate training and in particular helping people think about change. This is quite a specific field and brings a different focus from the regular magic gig of many magicians. However, some of the principles he expounds upon are really helpful in a subject which is close to my heart – thinking about the meaning and the ‘why’ of what we do.

Chapter One is all about Communication. This is a fundamental area for any performer to think about. He illustrates his theory with concrete examples which helps enormously.

Between many of the chapters are routines that George regularly performs. The first of these – Micro-Metamorphosis – is a very practical walkaround coin transposition.

Chapter Two is about the Impact to Effort Ratio. Again, for anyone performing for a living this is worth considering. You can pour an enormous amount of effort into an effect which never quite impacts the audience in the way you would like. And the opposite can also be true. Worth thinking about.

As an illustration of this he explains his routine The Bigger Picture – which is a nice twist on a commercially available routine which you would need to purchase.

Chapter Three is all about preparing for things going wrong. He analyses different possible areas for things to go wrong and some suggestions for minimising the risk.

Stimulating your imagination

The next chapter is all about a concept he has marketed called ‘TheSurvivalVersion’. He contends that the principle will help with creativity in coming up with routines. It may well help you.

By way of illustration he teaches a Torn and Restored Card routine developed using this technique. It’s a really nice, impromptu effect which is not too difficult to do but does require a certain amount of boldness! I liked it.

Chapter Six is all about interaction. Again, this is sort of applied communication theory. He explores something called the Leary Interpersonal Circumplex – which is a way of analysing character types/dynamics. I’d never come across this before and it is a helpful lens through which to consider how you ‘play’ your character throughout a routine. By consciously shifting ‘mode’ you can potentially make your performance more interesting for the spectator.

The next chapter provides another way of thinking creatively about your routines – imagining them done in multiple styles. He mentions a book called Exercises in Style – which I now want to read! He includes here a really nice Card to Card Box routine. I don’t really follow how it is related to the concept of style under consideration, but it is an excellent solution to this kind of prop. You don’t need to buy any special props – though you will need to make a very basic gimmick.

Chapter Eight explores the idea of taking an idea normally done with playing cards and performing it with a different prop (a bit like we saw on Dice, Dice, Baby). Again, this is a helpful lens to get your creativity flowing. He illustrates it with a routine involving postcards – which owes something to Eugene Burger’s excellent work on the ‘Black Envelope’ (which you can learn here). It’s a good routine.

Chapter Nine raises the question of openers. What are you communicating with your entrance on stage and very first routine? And how would you like to change that. He explains his 12321 routine – which is a sort of extended remix of the classic Professor’s Nightmare. It’s a good routine which I would like to try out. He illustrates it with several scripts to show how it could be used in different contexts.

The Final Chapter is perhaps what you might have expected given the title. It is about making things play bigger and thinking about different techniques and strategies to do that. There are some helpful checkpoints to run through to think about individual effects and indeed the structuring of your whole act. I would have liked to see a little more on that last section. But he does provide some suggested further resources (really on scriptwriting) to help you continue to think about it. The illustrative routine here is a surprisingly showy take on The Grandmother’s Necklace principle! To my surprise I could see this working really well.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading this. Disclaimer – I love pondering the theory of magic – and I’m already a fan of thinking carefully about what you are saying and doing as you perform. In that respect I think Parker’s work is a much condensed version of Scripting Magic.

Performing Magic with Impact is nicely produced – a 23x15cm perfect bound book – well illustrated and easy to read. The pricing is fair for a limited edition magic book.

If I had to sum up the intent of the book in a sentence I would put it like this: Creating Magic with Impact is written to help you unleash your creativity and think carefully about the presentation of your magic. And for my money it achieves that target pretty well.

If you’re the sort of person that just performs tricks ‘out of the box’ with the supplied ‘patter’ don’t bother. But if you’re the sort of person who likes to think carefully about their routines and scripts then I would highly commend spending a few hours of your time with this book.

You can pick up a copy of Performing Magic with Impact from MagicShop.co.uk for £22.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Christopher W Barnes – Be More Funny – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:16:39 +0000

Be More Funny is the latest book from creative American magician Christopher W Barnes’ pen. As I read the book to review it I had a strange experience of deja vu. Around 18 months ago I found myself wondering why I had picked up his earlier volume Just for Fun – a book on Kids’ magic – and discovered to my surprise that I was in for a treat. Be More Funny was a more immediately relevant title for someone as limited in the humour stakes as me (I practically define the term Dad Joke). But once again I found myself thinking more and more that this was a brilliant read with wide application for anyone who wants to make their magic performance more entertaining.

Can anyone Be More Funny?

The starting point for the book is that some things are inherently funny. And if you can begin to think creatively along some of these lines then you will immediately become more funny! Whether you are a funny person or not.

The first section of the book is brief and general. It explores the idea of finding your character and developing that. There are some practical tips here – but having read widely on the theory of presentation there was nothing radically new here. On the other hand, it was presented in a fresh and engaging way.

The real gold comes in the second (and major) part of the book.

Tropes

The main part of the book – almost 430 pages – explores classic comedy tropes. In case you haven’t come across the word before, it basically means the ‘cliches’ that make comedy work. To give you some examples – tropes would include ideas like the audiences’ expectations being subverted, or adding ridiculous props, or making people jump.

He explores 29 different tropes. But what is brilliant is the way he does this. First he explains the essence of the trope. Then he illustrates with well known examples from the magic repertoire. This in itself is gold dust – because a few YouTube searches later and you will have watched some brilliant magic you may not already have known.

Then comes a ‘brainstorming’ section where he jazzes on the idea and comes up with some ieas – though not necessarily methods – which might utilise this trope. He then uses the classic ‘force and reveal a card’ routine to provide an idea utilising the trope. Again – sometimes with a method – sometimes without. By the end of the book there have been 42 of these! Yes FORTY TWO!

The final element of each chapter is a full routine – explained in great detail – built upon the trope. Some of these use commercially available dealer items. Some of these require you to make props yourself. There are some WONDERFUL routines here. Some are very funny. Most are extremely easy to do. Some I want to run out and make up immediately.

A treasure trove of creativity

I am really not exaggerating when I say this is a treasure trove. Quite apart from the many excellent routines in themselves, I found the whole process of working through the ideas incredibly stimulating for my own creativity. And I defy you not to get something you can use out of this book.

There are a few of the routines which definitely wouldn’t suit my style – he is a little more crude at places than I would like to be – but don’t let this put you off. It is worth persisting.

The final major section of the book is a closer look at what’s involved in writing a funny script of a good joke. Again, this is packed with gold dust from someone who has been doing this for a long time. You will get some good ideas here.

The fourth and final section is a short and impassioned plea to make our magic more entertaining and more unique. Don’t just trot out the same old routines and patter as everyone else does. This is a subject close to my heart – though I am still a long way from getting there in my own performance. And has inspired me to keep working.

Final Thoughts

The whole thing is written in his easy-going and amusing style. It is well illustrated and nicely bound as an oversized paperback. In fact the only thing I would criticize about the book is that the font is rather large and appears to be in bold – which somehow makes it feel like a kid’s book!

A large part of me wanted to keep Be More Funny to myself – I don’t want everyone using these routines or having access to the same inspiration. But at the same time I do – because like Christopher W Barnes I want more people to Cedar Point me. But you’ll have to read the book to work out what that means.

Be More Funny comes highly recommended and is available from the Merchant of Magic for £33.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Richy Roy – The Wealthy Magician – review

Phil Sweeting — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 18:11:11 +0000

I read a lot of magic books – but The Wealthy Magician is fairly unique within that genre. It is a book not about tricks (so I know lots of magicians won’t read it!) but about the business and commercial side of magic. As such, I have only read one or two things to compare, which makes it pretty well placed for a proper review.

Do you want to be a Wealthy Magician?

One of Roy’s main arguments is that a magician should be properly valued. So much of the first section of the book is a sustained plea to ask for higher fees, not lower, and to hold out for better quality gigs rather than being involved in a race for the bottom.

In fact, the first section is a little repetitive, and a significant amount of it could be summed up in the following two sentences. Richy Roy thinks a magician is worth $2000 (Canadian Dollars – for my UK audience – that is about £1100) for a gig. And if you want to earn that, you have to ask for it!

Much of that section is about self-belief – and actually asking for what you think you should be worth – rather than what you think they might be prepared to pay.

If you read any good books on business (negotiating, marketing, advertising etc.) then many of the concepts here will be familiar to you. What Roy so helpfully does is apply the principles specifically to the context of the performing magician.

Realistic and (mainly) up to date

It is filled with illustrations from his own experience which brings the book to life and eloquently make the points.

Part 1 – then – is about Price Tag. Part 2 is about Marketing and Part 3 is about Sales. Some of the ideas will need a little contextualisation for a UK audience – but most I would say are broadly applicable.

I found The Wealthy Magician easy to read and full of helpful advice. There are some brilliant ideas here for diversifying and for building your brand.

It is ‘up to date’ in the sense that it does have an awareness of Social Media and the impact that is having on advertising and marketing. However, perhaps inevitably with a book, it already feels slightly out of date in that regard. Since I would say that the dominance of Facebook is already reducing – no doubt there will be another big thing before long.

With this small caveat notwithstanding, I would suggest this is compulsory reading for anyone contemplating the move to being a full time professional magician. If that is one of your aspirations then this book would greatly help you take the right approach from a business point of view.

I would recommend reading it alongside a book which might help you think through the more performance related side of things – and my top recommendation there would be The Approach (you can read our review here).

You can pick up a copy of the Wealthy Magician from the Merchant of Magic for £38.50 (at the time of writing).

Or possibly ever so slightly cheaper at Amazon.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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David and Sarah Trustman – The Memory Arts – review

Phil Sweeting — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 00:01:19 +0000

The Memory Arts is a book I might never have picked up, had it not been on my magic review list. But I’m very glad I did. And very glad that I waited until the beginning of January to do so. As I will explain in the review that follows…

What is it?

The Memory Arts is a beautifully produced (Vanishing Inc do produce nice magic books!) book which is all about how to develop a memory technique with specific reference to helping magicians memorise a deck of playing cards – though its applications are much broader.

The technique is based around the ancient technique of Mnemonics. It builds on a variety of ancient and more recent wisdom and packages it all in a highly accessible way. After a fascinating discussion of the history of this kind of technique, the book is straight in to a system of remembering 26 locations in a ‘Memory Palace’.

Memory Arts or Science?

This is facilitated by a unique drawing for each location alongside text to help you fix the image in your mind. In fact the use of illustration is a significant part of this book. You’re trying to remember images and pictures – which really helps the process. This view of the side of the book will give you a clue about how many pictures there are – the darker pages are all ones where the majority of the page is taken up with a picture.

After learning the 26 ‘locations’ there is a section on how you can turn any playing card into a memorable image. The next step is combing the card image with its location image.

The good, the bad, and the not so obvious…

The book has clearly been written with magicians in mind as the primary audience – so once the elements have been taught there are sections working the whole thing out for both the Aronson and the Mnemonica stack. The principles taught could be adapted for any stack you work with, but these are probably a good call as the most well known stacks used by magicians. (Although the Redford stack, and Woody Aragon’s Memorandum which builds on Mnemonica, are well worth a look in my opinion).

There are a few sections thinking about how you can use the technique in different ways – and I for one might well try it just to memorise the Kings of England in order, since that’s something I’ve always wanted to know!

The Memory Arts is well written, brilliantly illustrated and makes me believe that I could actually manage to memorise a deck – something I’ve always wanted to be able to do. That is why the timing is significant for me – it feels like a great New Year’s Resolution. And I currently believe I will be able to get this nailed within a few weeks or not much more. In fact, I have made an agreement with my 8-year old daughter and we’re both going to try to memorise it together! I’ll give you an update in a few weeks!

That takes me to what is probably my only minor criticism of the book. One or two of the images are not as immediately accessible as the others. For example one of the pictures includes a winch. My daughter had no idea what a winch is! Similarly there are one or two which have cultural connections or references which might not work for every reader. This is a tiny point – but worth mentioning. Of course, you can always come up with your own images. But half of the value of the book is that the images have already been done for you…

All in all, this is a great book, which comes highly recommended for anyone who would like to use their memory better. As I’ve said, it is well aimed at the magician who wants to learn a specific stack, but could also help memorise all kinds of other information easily.

You can pick up a copy of The Memory Arts from Merchant of Magic for only £37.50 (at the time of writing).

You can also purchase ebook editions for the specific stacks for £19.50 – but I’d always prefer a real book!

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Roger Blakiston – The Spiritual Stage – review

Phil Sweeting — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 23:01:36 +0000

The Spiritual Stage is certainly not your ordinary kind of magic book. And I should know. I’ve read a lot of them! It falls somewhere between a rambling biography or spiritual biography, thoughts on performing and stage-craft and a self-help book. The title grabbed my attention as both a magician and a pastor. But it should go without saying that my own spiritual perspective will inevitably colour my review.

The subtitle of the book begins to give you some clues as to the agenda – “Experiencing Spiritual Enlightenment through Entertainment.” Blakiston applies his own somewhat idiosyncratic, ‘pick and mix’ spirituality with particular reference to the life of the performer in general and the magician in particular.

There were certainly some things I like. I’m always interested in people’s stories – and the book starts with some autobiographical information and includes many personal anecdotes on the way. He’s had an intriguing life which I enjoyed reading about.

A loosely coherent narrative

The chapters are loosely arranged by topics but often rambled over a variety of themes. The book would certainly have benefited from some further editing – to reduce unnecessary repetition and a number of typos.

Blakiston wants to promote an extremely positive ‘spiritual’ way of life – which is all about positivity and love – helping others and seizing the opportunities that life presents you with. This is a noble aim and to be admired.

The central premise of The Spiritual Stage is that we have a spiritual essence – the real ‘us’ – and if we can get in touch with that we will be infallibly guided towards our correct path in life. Of course, there is wisdom in the ancient principle to ‘know thyself’. But as he started expounding a more detailed philosophy I found it increasingly incoherent and frustrating.

Like many who would affirm this kind of spirituality he is keen to emphasise that all our quests are individual and reluctant to criticise other approaches. I find this kind of post-modern relativist thinking deeply unsatisfactory from a philosophical point of view.

To say in this kind of religious or metaphysical context, that all paths are valid – is logically equivalent to saying all are untrue. Far from being an inclusive position it actually ends up being an exclusive one since it effectively rules all other view-points out as wrong.

I’m sure that this is not Mr Blakiston’s desire – he writes with warmth and an obvious passion and good will towards all men. And if he is to follow the philosophy he outlines in his book then he won’t be the slightest bit troubled by this slightly negative review – since all that matters is that he is true to his own divine essence which has caused him to write the book!

The book is somewhat inconsistent in a number of ways. For example he is happy to doubt – or raise questions – about the dogma of various other religious perspectives – but is happy to assert the authenticity of his own position based simply on his subjective experience.

A small health warning

My greatest frustration comes with his approach to ‘naming and claiming’ your plans. Here is his description of the ‘law of attraction’:

“Everything you ask for will come to you in some form.” p138

I find it a deeply problematic suggestion. He has grown up in a relatively privileged context – and in as much as he shares his own experiences seems to have known little of real hardship in his life. In his writing he seems to recognise the many difficult things which happen in this world – so he is not naive. Therefore to suggest to someone that simply by desiring something you can have it seems to be at best ridiculous or at worst downright damaging.

Peppered along the way are some helpful pieces of advice (for a performer) about finding your own style and developing your own act. There are also a wealth of interesting quotes from a variety of authors and sources. These range from the Bible (his father was an Anglican vicar and his familiarity with the Bible is evident – even if he is happy to quote it entirely out of any context) to Albert Einstein, via that modern sage Jewel.

So I really don’t know what to do with The Spiritual Stage. If you are interested in that kind of spirituality then it’s an easy read and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. If you’re primarily looking for a book to improve your performing I’m struggling to recommend it.

You can pick up a copy from the Merchant of Magic for £20.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Max Maven – Kayfabe – review

Phil Sweeting — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 23:01:58 +0000

Inspirational. You may think that is an exaggeration for a magic DVD. But Max Maven’s Kayfabe genuinely deserves that adjective. This is a four volume DVD set to which I cannot do justice in a short review, But I will try to give you a flavour of the set and of why I am so enthusiastic about it.

The mentalist of the modern age?

I first saw Max moving about 30 years ago on a television series called the best of magic. as a young boy all I knew then was that he looked pretty distinctive. As I’ve grown older, and learnt more about the wonderful magical arts, I’ve come to realise he’s one of the most knowledgeable magicians (and most prolific inventors) of the modern era. That look, which was so distinctive, is all part of an attitude to performing where everything is thought through and intentional.

The 4 DVDs in this set covering enormous range of very high quality mentalism and magic. Most of the material has not appeared in print or on DVD before. Max is an incredibly clear and deliberate teacher and each explanation is full of gems of detail which are priceless. Even down to the specifics of where to have your spectator stand.

Like me, you may be wondering where the name ‘Kayfabe’ came from. Max explains all to those who are not familiar with a particular form of US-based entertainment. And I will leave him to explain the term to you, and it’s fascinating link with the style of mentalism Maven performs.

What’s on Kayfabe?

I’m not going to give you a detailed blow by blow account of all the effects taught on Kayfabe. However, suffice to say, many of the mentalism classics are given the Max-imum treatment. There are predictions, coincidence effects, psychometry effects etc. etc.

His take on Confabulation, to take but one example, is a superb lesson in creating an engaging premise or frame for a routine, and in justifying every action. Unlike many mentalists, Maven has no problem using playing cards in his performances and there are some clever pieces involving the pasteboards.

I love the premise and boldness of Rorrim and there’s a superb variation on The Trick That Cannot be Explained. It includes multiple performances so you can really understand the ‘jazzing’ required. Slightly annoyingly he leaves one incredibly strong effect performed multiple times but not explained.

In a 4-disk set, you might be surprised that it only includes 14 effects. But these are taught in exquisite detail. As you can imagine, if you are familiar with his work, the influences for each one are meticulously credited – which is in itself a fascinating journey through magical history.

Most of the effects rely more on presentational skill and subtlety than difficult handling – though a couple are slightly more technically demanding.

Not just the tricks

For me one of the high points of this (as many of the EMC sets) is the extended interview – in four segments – where Louis de Matos interviews Maven about his life and influences. It is fascinating stuff which was extremely honest. Whilst I don’t agree with all of his ideas, it was wonderful to hear them and to understand some of the factors which have shaped this man.

Bonus features also included a documentary about Maven called Fabulous Monster which included more live performing footage and interviews. Fascinating. Also a couple of lectures from the EMC conferences in previous years which were very interesting.

As a reviewer, I tend to only ask to review things that I am interested in, which is why so many of my reviews score pretty positively – they are ‘self-selecting’ in that sense. However, Kayfabe stands out as one of the most enjoyable DVD sets I have had the pleasure of watching.

Max is such a compelling performer and is so thought-through about all that he does that I defy you not to pick up many useful tips on the way, to say nothing of some excellent magic. If I had a criticism, I found the menu system on the DVD a bit frustrating (I seem to recall this is a bit of a feature of the EMC DVDs) – and on my PC I had a few problems with sound etc. It is possible that is to do with my computer, since it played fine in my DVD player.

Those minor issues notwithstanding, Kayfabe has stimulated me to explore a whole new line of presentation in one of the more niche fields that I work in. I hope that you will find it equally inspiring.

You can pick up a copy of Kayfabe from the good folk at MagicShop.co.uk At £151.99 it does represent a significant investment. But in my opinion it is worth it.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Pete McCabe – Scripting Magic – review

Phil Sweeting — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:01:30 +0000

Scripting Magic is one of those books that have a reputation. I own (and have read) a very large number of magic books – and over the years you get to hear about certain books which are apparently essential reading. I had been trying to track down a copy of Scripting Magic for some time, without success, so was delighted when I heard that Vanishing Inc were not just republishing it – but also releasing a second volume. In this brief review I will try to give you a flavour of why I think it deserves its reputation.

What is it?

The vast majority of magic books are about tricks. Of the making of tricks there is apparently no end. But Scripting Magic, as its name suggests, has an entirely different focus. It is all about how you can go about massively strengthening the effectiveness of your magic by giving greater attention to the script you use. Or as McCabe puts it “scripting magic can make you more effective, more entertaining, more dramatic, and most of all, more magical.”

McCabe, as well as being a very competent magician in his own right, has a background in scriptwriting and so he knows what he is talking about. And if you’re the kind of person who is immediately put off by the idea of a script, it is worth saying right away that a script is more than just a set of words. It is more to do with the setting and shaping of your performance – so the script might be entirely silent – consisting more of blocking and implications than actual words.

I suppose there are plenty of amateur magicians out there who feel that if they have mastered the mechanics of the trick then it is ready to perform. And that simply saying whatever comes into their head is enough to make a trick entertaining. We’ve all seen ‘uncle John’ performing a card trick where he speaks a running commentary simply describing every action he takes. It is the magical equivalent of someone doing a PowerPoint presentation and simply reading the slides to you. It shouldn’t be allowed.

So you will already have gathered that I am completely in agreement with the central premise of the book – that to elevate magic to more than mere puzzles – it is worth the careful investment of time to work through the routine you will use, thinking about every word and gesture, aiming to add meaning and artistry to the performance.

Scripts and Essays and Interviews

There are three main kinds of contributions in the book. Firstly, there are some essays exploring a particular nuance of scripting your magic. These cover all aspects of scriptwriting and also character development etc. The essays are sane and intelligent – and none of them are too long!

Secondly, there are some interviews where the opinion of a well-known magician is sought on questions pertaining to scripting. In the overused phrase, these are worth the price of the book alone. These guys earn their living doing this stuff and they know what they are talking about. And many of them are very funny to boot!

Thirdly, and making up the bulk of the content, there are a significant number of full scripts – many for classic routines – so that you can learn some of the principles in action.

The contributors’ list reads like a veritable who’s who of magic – and many have generously given their prize routines. Who doesn’t remember where they were the first time they saw Eugene Burger perform the Gypsy Thread (he provides two full scripts for the effect and there are also a further two from John Lovick)?

Some of the standard effects for which scripts are provided include: Coins Across, T&R Card, Invisible Deck, Gypsy Thread, Card to Pocket, Add-a-number prediction, Marked Deck, Triumph, Chop Cup, Out of this world, etc. etc. After the script comes a series of notes on the mechanics and the subtleties of the whole process.

I don’t think the idea is that you would necessarily use any of these scripts as they stand – rather they are there to help you see the difference a good script can make and to explore the nuances of a good script.

Some of the effects have more than one script to allow you to see different ways of taking the same general effect. Many of the effects have fairly detailed instructions of the mechanics of the effect – so you may even learn some new routines here.

Final thoughts

I have been reading magic books for over 30 years and I honestly can’t think of any which deserve their reputation as fully as this one nor that I have enjoyed reading as much. I’ve only had a chance to dip into Volume 2 – but it promises to be just as strong. And includes another 33 scripts ($100 Bill Switch, Dancing Cane, Magi Colouring Book(!), thumb tip and many others), 3 more interviews, 9 exercises to help you think through the process of creating your script and lots of illustrations like Volume 1.

Scripting Magic comes very highly recommended indeed. If you are serious about improving the quality of your magical performances then you must buy this book and take its lessons on board. They have been beautifully published to Vanishing Magic’s usual high standard and will repay a lifetime’s study.

Scripting Magic is available from MagicShop.co.uk. Volume 1 is £40.50, Volume 2 is £40.50 or you could splash out on the deluxe edition (a boxed set of both books) for £120.99 (all prices correct at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Jamy Ian Swiss – Preserving Mystery – review

Phil Sweeting — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:21:39 +0000

If you have ever read any of Jamy Ian Swiss’s book reviews, then you will appreciate why I approach this current endeavour with some degree of trepidation. On the other hand, were I to tell you that this is the first magic book I have read which has led me to re-evaluate my life (though that I read it shortly after my 40th birthday may also be relevant) then you will understand why I feel compelled to write this review, in the vain attempt to bring this stimulating work to a wider audience.

We should say at the start that if you are the sort of magician who believes the only value in any magic purchase is in ‘learning some more tricks’ then you should probably stop reading now and certainly shouldn’t buy the book. On the other hand, if you are a magician who loves their art and who wants to think more deeply, develop as a performer, and revel in our shared magical history, then this is essential reading.

Preserving Mystery is the third in a trio of books which Vanishing Magic have just re-published in a beautiful matching edition. Indeed if you buy the complete set you will get a fourth volume unavailable elsewhere. It is beautifully printed to Vanishing Magic’s usual high standards. An understated hard-back volume, appropriately illustrated and typeset in a font which is easy on the eye. Many of the essays have been published before elsewhere but since many of us may not have had access to those magazines this is a welcome addition to the library.

The title essay, which comes last in the book, explores that tension which anyone who loves magic is well familiar with. We start off in magic transported and captivated by the mystery of it all – but as we grow in knowledge and experience it becomes harder to achieve those moments of mystery. Swiss explores this tension and some of its complications with insight and understanding.

The book falls into three sections. I will try to give a flavour of each.

Cannon Fodder

This section contains some of the most ‘theoretical’ essays and explores, amongst other things, the relationship between a hack magician (and potential plagiarist) and a true creative artist, the way we (consciously or not) treat our audience, the difference between mentalism and mental magic, and even the portrayal of magicians in fiction and what we are to learn from that.

Each essay is insightful and clearly argued. I, personally, really enjoy his erudite style and his unashamed convictions. He is prepared to nail his colours to the mast as to what he likes and what he doesn’t – and the unavoidable impression is of a man who dearly loves his art and longs for others to think more deeply and carefully about it.

Yesterdays

As its name suggests, this section takes the form of historical and biographical sketches. He covers Al Flosso (1895-1976), Imam Hossani (1949-2012), Michael Skinner (1941-1998), Herb Zarrow (1925-2008) and Earl Johnson (1923-2009). Although I knew of almost all of these, each essay was a wonderfully personal and evocative sortie into their lives. I love reading about the history of magic and found that each chapter transported me in a delightful way to another world. Swiss not only describes the men, but draws lessons from their lives including (in the case of Michael Skinner) some very specific finesses on particular moves.

A Magician Prepares

This third section is a little more wide-ranging. As an avid reader and collector of magic books, I loved the first essay which was primarily a lament for the personal introduction of many classic magic books. I share some of Swiss’ dislike of the magic video/dvd/download as a way of learning magic, though am slightly more optimistic than him about the future of magic publishing in the light of a number of very fine (to my mind) books which have been published in recent years.

Suiting Repertoire was an argument for having a larger repertoire of effects and moves than you need for your ‘regular’ performing set on the basis that you may otherwise miss out on creating some memorable one-off moments of magic. The illustrations from his own life of successful examples of this felt like the real reason he wanted to write the chapter – but enjoyed the tales and found my own laziness sorely challenged by the approach!

A chapter is devoted to exploring the subtlety of that most-abused sleight, the French Drop. This is followed by a stimulating exploration of how to choose the method (sleight of hand or ‘gaff’) when you are devising or learning a routine. I wish that more of us devoted this level of thinking to our magical performances – and the repeated insight that method affects effect is vital to remember. Footonote 51 was one of favourite in the book (closely followed by 34 in the chapter on the French Drop) – but you will have to read the book yourself to discover why they made me laugh out loud.

The Swiss Sleight Study System takes up most of the rest of this section – and is essentially a plea for magicians to take their study of sleight of hand seriously and an index of references for the most standard card magic sleights (and a much briefer equivalent for coin magic). If you are serious about developing your sleight of hand then this would benefit further study.

I had a wonderful few evenings reading this excellent book and it gets my highest recommendation for anyone who loves magic and wants to be encouraged to think carefully about it. And in case you’re wondering, it was a particular challenge about one’s motivation to practise which made me ask (again) some fundamental questions about priorities in life.

Preserving Mystery is available from the Merchant of Magic for £27.50 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Trick of the Month – May 2017 Edition

admin — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 23:01:05 +0000

This site caters for many different kind of readers and magicians – and our selections this month will reflect that…

Many of our crew enjoy the self-working kind of magic, and for them Fortuity by David Jonathan may be worth a look. The plot is loosely based on the classic Duel Match type effect – but the method and detail have been changed – leaving an easy to do prediction effect. £34.99

But we never forget that we started out as a sight entirely focused on playing cards for magic. So here’s a heads-up on some rather good looking cards. The Whispering Imps are a striking set of cards which would work particularly well in any gambling-themed routine. They feature a minimalist back design, and dual-orientation indices. As well as the Red and Black versions (£10.50) which have been available for a while, the Green Limited Edition deck is now available individually (it was previously only available in a wooden collectors box set) for £37.50.

I have a significant birthday this month, so am going to indulge by mentioning a whole shelf-full of wonderful magic books.

Nick Trost’s Subtle Card Creations series have been ram-packed with wonderful magic, often requiring little sleight of hand. So volume 6 is a must read. £38.99. Anything with Robert Neale’s name on it is also worth reading – he has an incredibly creative take on story-telling magic and his books always stimulate ideas. Why not pick up Magic Matters ready for some ideal holiday reading? Like Neale, but often more provocative, is Jamy Ian Swiss. I loved Shattering Illusions so have no hesitation recommending Preserving Mystery without even having laid my hands upon it. [UPDATE – we have now read and done a full review of Preserving Mystery – it is Superb!] [And if anyone wants to buy me something for my 40th then this beautiful collectors edition of his complete works would be a nice idea :-)]

And last, but not least, here’s a welcome re-release. Marc Oberon’s Bang On has always been, to my mind, one of the best solutions to the thought of card in envelope plot. I have seen many variations over the years and have performed several, but there is something about the direct simplicity of Marc’s version which makes it very strong. It’s been re-released on Bicycle stock, and I gather there may be a few other refinements – though I haven’t picked up a copy yet. £96.50

That’s all for now. Have a great month, and check back in for a stack of new reviews – including the latest Bannon DVD – coming soon…

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