August 25: The Crucifixion of Chami Kkan
Exactly 70 years ago, in 1955, the annual Abbott’s Get Together was in full force. Chami Kkan, a mystic from Venezuela, was nailed to a cross with three long spikes.
August 2025
Almanac
August 24: Thurston's Nostril Expander
In 1926, illusionist Howard Thurston was granted a United States Patent for a “Nostril Expander,” which was marketed as Thurston’s Perfect Breather.
Almanac
August 16: The Legend of the Silk Worm
Talma closed a week of performances at the Manchester Tivoli Theater with her new act, The Legend of the Silk Worm.
Almanac
August 15: Clayton Rawson
Clayton Rawson was born on this day in 1906 in Elyria, New York. He specialized in the “locked room” format—an impossible crime that couldn’t have happened, with the books featuring his magician/detective character, The Great Merlini.
Almanac
August 11: Adelaide Herrmann
Adelaide Herrmann was born in London in 1853, to a Belgian family. She was a successful magician who performed spectacular acts of sleight of hand and illusions.
The Eye
Harry Marvello on a Telephone Box
Richard Wiseman finds an unusual way to "shed light" on a famous magical figure from the early 1900s.
Questionnaire
The Genii Questionnaire: David Regal
Confronted by our quiz, the magician/author abandons Hot Rod and wonders about Lisa Noonan.
Viewpoints
Coffee with Steve Cohen
How does Steve Cohen find all those gems in his show, Chamber Magic? What does he have to do to make his magic different?
Voices
What’s the Deal With Hack Lines?
Are you the only one who could deliver that line? Avoid hack material by scripting magic that’s unique to your character.
Voices
The Magician vs. The Effect
What is the relationship between the magician and the magic, and who’s responsible for whatever occurs?
News
August Mailbox
Thoughts on recent features, accidental coincidences, and Genii's new emerging online home.
Perspectives
Eric Buss: Spring Snake Symphony
Just when is too far, too far? Well, Eric Buss shows us just what it means to carry a thing, all the way through, to the very, very end.