Who Me?

The past couple of days I have been wondering what someone would think if they stumbled onto this blog. They would find a lot written about a very mundane topic. Me. I can’t imagine it would seem anything but boring and self-indulgent to anyone else. As I mentioned in the first post, this is really just a journal for me. I am trying to move myself up from a hack amateur to a competent sleight-of-hand artist. This requires a lot of self reflection. As a result, the focus of these postings is, well, of my discoveries, thoughts and progress. The rest of my life revolves around my kids, my wife, my students and my church. Writing this blog helps me discern, reflect and track my progress toward my goal. That is the only purpose of this blog. I am not trying to entertain or inform anyone about anything. For some reason I am more likely to journal my progress in this way. A notebook is too easily shoved under the bed or just plain ignored. But with this blog I feel more motivated to write. At any rate, I hope when the Spring arrives and my 36-week task is complete, I can write about magic and those who practice it instead of myself. Until then, if by chance you, person, friend, find yourself reading these words I beg your forgiveness. Please be patient with me. Soon enough I will change the focus away from myself toward magic in general. But for now I must confess these writings are serving the purpose well. I feel myself growing, becoming more self confident and more importantly, a better magician. This is so working for me.


Last August I was tinkering with Jim Tyler’s ring and string routine. (A real beauty). I picked it back up last week and have been trying to work out the rough spots. I planned on performing it the following Friday. By the time Thursday rolled around I had to make a choice. Should I perform the ring and string routine Friday or not. Mechanically, at least, I’ve got it worked out. But I just felt it needed more spit and polish to do it justice. It needed more work so I decided to let ring and string wait until next week. So on Friday I would perform “Card Warp” instead. Card Warp was one of my standards in the old days. The creator of Card Warp, Michael Weber, produces some of the most mind-blowing presentations imaginable. Years ago I devised my own finish to Card Warp. Not that it needed any other finish. But 4 out of 5 times people would make a request when I finished the trick. What I do does not necessarily make Card Warp a better trick. It just suits me better and as a result I get a huge return in entertainment value. So I brought it out of moth balls, as it were, cleaned it up, and added a bit business here and there for cohesiveness sake.



I was hesitant at first because I was afraid I was combining two effects. Card Warp and my own handling of a different effect. A very wise magician warns against doing this. And in my view, it is sound advice. I have never met Patrick Page but he has become my favorite magician. Patrick Page has the style and manner I most aspire to. I have adopted him as my own personal mentor. (Mr. Page had no say so in this matter)! I hope to someday attend one of his lectures or workshops. Until then, his books and other materials are mine to fetish and covet.


I digress. Mr. Page warns against combining effects, and I agree. Yet the response I got from my performances on Friday was astounding. The effect as I performed it seems stronger for me than Card Warp alone. And the finish I've come up with is not really something I would do as a stand alone effect. (Although I suppose one could). In fact, judging by the response I received from 5 different audiences, it may be one of the strongest close-up routines I perform. (Wasn't expecting that)!There is something else too. My handling of Weber’s Card Warp evolved over time. I’m sure I’m not the only one to think of handling Card Warp in this way. I’ll bet there are lots of pros out there that do. It’s just that over time I independently came up with a handling that answered the audience’s inevitable request. It also provides a mighty and totally unexpected wallop.

Since getting back into magic last August I have been working on perfecting my ability to perform classic routines of sleight of hand. I have been working from books by Vernon, Slydini, Hugard, Bobo, and Tarbell to name a few. I am so excited and having a fantastic time of it. But I was beginning to worry that I after so many years away from magic I might have lost my creativity. I’m glad I pushed and trusted myself to perform Card Warp as I visualized it. It really paid off.
If I am really lucky, I’ll get to meet Patrick Page someday. And if I ever do, I’ll perform this routine. I hope he would agree with me that I am not combining two effects so much as bringing a classic effect to a reasonable and entertaining conclusion. In the mean time, as a rule, I promise to never pull coins AND sponge balls from the same bagless purse. Or finish an “Ambitious Card” routine with “Card to Pocket” or “Wallet”.