May Mailbox

Don't Miss the Video Content

Congrats on the new Genii! The whole thing is a joy to read in pace, design and content. The first issue was a nice transition and this second one (March 2025) was a big bite. That Blake Vogt column is going to be amazing and the fact that he’s sharing the video chat is generous.

I’ve also been enjoying the supplementary video to “The Genii Speak” and thought the one with John Gaughan and Noah Levine was a real delight.

—Hal Schulman

Thanks, Hal. Blake’s column has been a treat for us as well. This month, don’t miss his collaboration with Jay Sankey. We’re also planning a few additional videos with John Gaughan.

Thanks to Lamont and Lambert

I’m a fan of Peter Lamont, so I was glad to see his book excerpt in the first issue. But what I most enjoyed is that it seems to signal support for including things that should be of interest to magicians, but aren’t about magic itself. This type of focus will make Genii more valuable to me. I enjoyed his column in March, and I’m glad to see Krystyn Lambert is continuing with the magazine. Please be bold and brave! Tasteful curation and a voice! You’re off to a great start and I’m rooting for you.

—Gordon Meyer

Gordon, we’re proud that “bold and brave” are attributes displayed by a number of our columnists, who are forging their own philosophies about how we think about magic, how we actually practice magic, or even how we invent it. We’ve already identified a couple of spots where columnists, from one page to another, are providing differing viewpoints… and we think that’s a good thing.

Shops, Tricks, Reviews...

The new columns and sections are great additions, and I now make a beeline for the “Genii Questionnaire,” “Almanac” and the Workshop section (especially to see if Dr. Matt Pritchard has an inclusion). Also, the return of the “Mailbox” brings a nice, old school feeling that helps connect readers to the process once again.

Another nice addition is the spotlight on magic shops. In a world where brick-and- mortar shops are quickly vanishing, this can help highlight the ones that remain. One thing I might suggest is to include a map feature that shows where the shop is located; it may draw the eye of someone who is planning a trip and can quickly see that the shop being spotlighted is actually located near where they are traveling.

While talking about shops, I feel that your new reviews of tricks, now shorter and to the point, are great. It’s what I’m looking for in a review. Is it a decent trick? Are there any important factors I need to consider? Thank you for providing the information.

—Brian Scott

Brian, we can see that concise, honest reviews are an aspirational goal. As one reviewer explained, it was “easier” to write a much lon- ger review than a short one, which seems to make a specific point. Our current reviewers are doing an expert job of finding the balance.

An Author on Shorter Book Reviews

As for the book reviews… they are shorter. I’ve seen some bitching about this. Initially, I had the same gripe. When my book was published and I received a page-and-a-half review in Genii, it thrilled me! But now my thinking has evolved. The person who may most be upset with a shorter review is the book’s author. But I realize that you’re not making a magazine to stroke the egos of the authors. For the sake of the reader, I get it. The new reviews are concise. A brief review can be enough to discuss the topic and say we recommend the book. And I can see that some of the reviews, that need more space, are continued on a later page in the magazine.

—Lance Rich

Lance, thanks for your analysis and your honest appraisal. You will certainly see reviews of different lengths appear in Genii, not simply because a book is big or important, but because a topic may be difficult to discuss.

📬 Have something to tell us?

We encourage your comments, suggestions, and prohibitions. Reach us with the speed of email at editors@geniimagazine.com. We are, as the original genie insisted, here to serve.