Wizards in the Silent World
Dr. Simon Carmel’s fourth book of notable biographies of deaf magicians is a fascinating look at an amazing subculture of our art.
April 2025
VOL. 88, NO. 4
Trick Review
Zooming Box
This is a well-made gag which uses yet another property of the cell phone (zooming into a portion of a photograph) to create a visual surprise on a box of playing cards.
Almanac
April 6: Houdini's Not-Birthday
This day in 1874 was not Harry Houdini’s birthday. But he celebrated his birthday on this day all his life. Wanna know why?
Perspectives
Jen Kramer: A Childhood Dream All Grown Up
Childhood dreams come to life on a Las Vegas stage for Jen Kramer.
Perspectives
Voices of the Past
When all we have from magicians of the past are anecdotes from books, perhaps a few photographs, or posters, and, of course, the tricks they created, it is far too easy to forget that they were real people.
Viewpoints
Coffee with, Gay Blackstone
She started off performing as an onstage and off-stage partner to Harry Blackstone Jr., and has now developed a role as executive producer.
Workshop
When Words Bridge Worlds
Words can be ambiguous. As magicians, we can create dual realities in a performance where words can deploy multiple identities.
Workshop
Questions from the Script Consultant
Before you start scripting a routine, you want to have a few things in mind. Your scripts come from you, and who you are, and, who is your audience.
Book Review
Gibecière Vol. 20, No. 1
Magicians don’t need to still be alive to surprise you. Do you want to read hand-written notes from when Mozart (yes, that one) was studying magic tricks? Thanks to Reinhard Müller and Rainer Buland, now you can.
Book Review
Studies in Deception
Enclosed in the 242 pages of Aurelio Paviato’s Studies in Deception is the conjuror’s equivalent of Bach etudes: a dozen complete, professionally stage-tested routines that each focuses on a specific set of sleights and techniques for better structuring one’s magic.
Trick Review
Missing Finger
You may well wonder what sort of enhancement to “watch me pull my finger off” is waiting for you inside of the neat red box from Penguin Magic. Or indeed, whether “watch me pull my finger off” has been waiting for $25 of improvement.
Trick Review
Super Picks
Josh Burch has seemingly replaced several different routines, like Scotch and Soda, or the Coin through the Coaster, or even Color Changing Knives, with a set of four special plastic guitar picks.