An Opportunity Missed
As a full-time family entertainer I always enjoy reading David Kaye’s column, and I was elated to see that not only success stories were shared in the July 2026 issue (I am glad to know I am not the only one with crazy stories like these).
Hearing about terrible experiences can help all of us learn. However, I felt like an opportunity was missed. Yes, when you perform hundreds of shows a year, crazy things will happen, but as magical entertainers we hold a great deal of power in our words and actions. We can’t just review our shows from the past, think “that was crazy,” and move on or share it in a magazine because it will make good content. David is correct, we don’t need to beat ourselves up about it, but we do need to take responsibility for what happened and find ways to prevent it from happening again.
If we take the time to not just learn our routines, but think through their implications, we can avoid many “terrible confluence of circumstances.” This is something I have talked about with fellow performers on podcasts before and two of the easiest approaches are to think about the words we use (because words really do matter) and ask for consent.
It would have been nice to see David, a leader in the field of family entertainment, put such a call to action out to the readers instead of just asking for more crazy and improbable stories.
—Brian Scott Ambrosch
Thank you for your thoughtful letter.
Your feedback is spot on. I told these stories without making suggestions for what to do if you have inadvertently upset a child (and perhaps even the whole audience). Once your show is over, seek out your host, ask why your volunteer had such an extreme reaction, and ask if you can speak to the child. You can apologize, give a hug, and smooth things over. I am sure the child will feel much better when an understanding stranger shows compassion.
I am glad I was able to write about a topic that created further discussion. I think kid show magic is more complicated than most magicians understand, and am thankful that you followed up.
—David Kaye
Thanks to both David and Brian for starting, and continuing, this conversation. One of the most engaging aspects of old magazines for me is a lively conversation in the letters page, something that happens with far less frequency now that social media offers all of us a letters page of our own. I think, however, that a conversation in a magazine such as Genii carries a different weight than a more ephemeral medium, so do remember that we welcome your contributions to this page.
Houdini in a House
With all the Houdini hubbub and séance specials capitalizing on the centenary of the demise of the “Illusive American,” I thought it important to point out that the photograph on page 16 of the September 2026 issue of Genii depicts Bess’ family home in Greenpoint Brooklyn, not the Harlem “Houdini House,” or any of the other houses he or his brother Hardeen lived in. The woman standing in the doorway beside Harry is Bess’ mother. The architecture of the Harlem house is also markedly different from this one.
Although not specifically captioned as Houdini’s house, this photograph’s use might lead some people to think that it is.
—Richard Cohn
Video “Improvements”
With Phil Goldstein’s (Max Maven’s) passing, a dealer appears to have been given free reign to reintroduce a number of his effects. For those of us who missed the opportunity to acquire his tricks the first time around, it is a much-appreciated effort but, although having video instruction is valuable, so would be having sight of Max’s original instruction. Max was famous for his ability to write humorously. His targets were well chosen and he seldom missed the mark. Oh! If only the same could be said for most of the video instructions inflicted upon us.
So, here’s an ardent hobbyist, and regular purchaser of magic’s, request; please oh please, if its possible, scan and create a PDF of any original written instructions and illustrations depicting the moves so we may see what the inventor originally had in mind, and judge for ourselves whether the improvements brought about by time really are of value.
—Paul Jackson
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