The Genii Speak, April 2026

My introduction to magic came in my early teens, thanks to a wonderful man called Claude Perry. Claude had heard from my grandma that I was interested in magic (the truth was that I had been given a beginner’s trick that Christmas) and, despite having never met me, took the time to write to me, explaining that he had heard that I was a magician and that he was one too. That letter changed the entire trajectory of my life, a small act of kindness that I now know Claude extended to many aspiring magicians—it was the right impetus at the right moment to shape who I would become.

After I became executive editor of Genii another protégé of Claude’s got in touch to remind me of Claude’s opinion of this magazine. Claude was a longstanding subscriber to Abracadabra, the weekly British magic publication that ran for 63 years, and would swap a month’s worth of copies of Abra for a friend’s Genii so they would each get the benefit of each other’s subscription. (Note: Genii does not condone such behavior.) Claude’s judgment was that Abra was the better magazine, principally because Genii was too long; he complained that there was too much to read and so his tea would go cold.

Claude died some 18 years ago, but his good-humored complaint did make me think about the experience we are trying to create in these pages. When Claude was alive, and Abra was at its peak, magazines could function as quickly digested vessels for the latest news and gossip. The internet has completely superseded magazines in that role. Today I am of the opinion that a good magic magazine functions more like an infinite book, touching on all aspects of magic and divided into monthly installments. Rather than providing a brief hit of time-sensitive information, we hope to share pieces that are timely and relevant today, but which will also retain their value in the months and years to come. I would go so far as to say that if you could finish an issue of Genii without your tea getting cold we would have failed you. My hope, instead, is that we offer a magazine that you can dip in and out of over the course of the month; satiated by each magical dose, and then ready to reengage with new thoughts, tricks, and ideas a day or two later.

So, if you haven’t already, now would be the perfect time to make a cup of tea (or coffee, or something stronger), and then to dive into our latest issue.

For our first feature we are celebrating a big birthday (so grab a slice of cake to accompany that cup of tea). Our associate editor, Vanessa Armstrong, explains:

If you’ve met Mary Naylor Kodell, you know she’s a force of nature, and that turning 100 years old isn’t slowing her down. She came to magic via her husband Jack Kodell, though she was a star in her own right since she was a child in World War II England. For the past few decades, Mary has lived in Orlando; she is a fixture of the magic community there and has enthusiastically shared her passion for performing arts with generations of magicians. To celebrate her birthday, Genii asked Lance Burton to talk with her about her early career and ask her what advice she has for magicians of all ages. It’s an engaging conversation, not least because Mary is also a gifted storyteller, and one I hope Genii readers will enjoy.

Then we move to Argentina, for a piece by columnist Roberto Mansilla, who takes a deep dive into the history of René Lavand’s relationship with the color-changing knives. Roberto is one of my favorite writers on magic, and René was one of my favorite magicians to watch, so when Roberto offered me this piece I jumped at the chance to share it with you all. I, and I suspect many other magicians from the English-speaking world, have a tendency to think of the knives as rather hack material—“Did anyone drop a red penknife? No. How about a white one?” If that thought occurs to you too, then I hope you enjoy learning how René brought the artistic side of the trick to life.

As we move into the body of the issue you will start to notice a few new names appearing in our pages. Within the Voices section, for example, we welcome R. Paul Wilson and Marc Kerstein. I am thrilled that they will both be joining our team of regular contributors. 

If you have no interest in magic using phone apps there is a chance that you might not know Marc’s work. His magical expertise is broad, but he is probably best known for his well-thought-through apps that let you perform miracles using other people’s phones. He will be sharing some of his thoughts about technology and magic in our pages. Don’t skip his column, even if you are a luddite—his exploration of how technology can both succeed and fail in creating magical experiences is valuable whether or not you have an interest in magic with telephones. 

Skipping ahead we also feature two new columnists in Workshop. Roland Sarlot explores the business of ticket sales, explaining why you might not be getting an accurate understanding of your sales and the problems that can cause. Then Justin Higham chips in with some seasonal thoughts on how you might be missing opportunities in the magic you already do.

Perhaps the biggest change in this issue is the reinstatement of Magicana. This column will alternate between our two magic editors, Benjamin Barnes and Lorenz Schär, who will be curating a selection of material for you each month. Benjamin kicks things off this issue with ideas suited to a wide range of performance spaces and styles, and I know that Lorenz’s plans are well under way for next month, so there is plenty to be excited about both now and in the future.

And of course we also have contributions from some of our columnists whom you already know and love… wherever you plan to start your journey through this month’s magazine, make the first of many cups of tea that you will consume alongside it, and enjoy.

Erratum: On page 82 of the February Genii, in Jim Hagy’s Sleightly Astonishing column, the image (reproduced above) was not credited correctly due to an editorial slipup. The illustration was courtesy of the Ken Trombly Collection and we apologize for any confusion caused.