Best Thing I’ve Read Today

Best Thing I’ve Read Today

This piece by my friend Jamy Ian Swiss about legendary card magician Harry Lorayne — and the accompanying videos of him in action — are well worth your time, and will likely end with you shaking your head in disbelief.

Best Thing I’ve Read Today

Best Thing I’ve Read Today

Here’s a wonderful appreciation of magician Ricky Jay by Tracy Newman, his onetime girlfriend, who shares stories and video links you’ll want to watch, too (hat tip to Ken Levine, who posted this on his blog). Here’s one of the many things I learned from Ricky: You can really perfect something if you’re willing to […]

Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay

It’s silly to try to name the Greatest Magician Ever, even if you break it down into subcategories like Grand Illusionists, Escape Artists, Mentalists, Comedy Magicians, etc. Yes, there are competitions held each year at which magicians win prizes and honors, but comparing artists of any kind has always seemed pointless because personal taste comes […]

Picture Of The Day: Misty Lee

Picture Of The Day: Misty Lee

I had never heard of magician Misty Lee until my friend (and hers) Mark Evanier mentioned her a few times on his blog. Since then, I’ve watched some of her videos on YouTube, seen her perform on Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us,” and subscribed to her Unicorn Wednesday channel, in which she posts a weekly […]

Theater Review: Penn & Teller

Theater Review: Penn & Teller

My wife and I have seen Penn & Teller many times since they made their off-Broadway debut in the mid-1980s, but haven’t gone back for seven years or so until this weekend. I’m glad we did. Unlike other Vegas acts, who have been doing the same tricks over and over, year after year, P&T regularly […]

DVR Alert: Some Magical Television

DVR Alert: Some Magical Television

This month, Showtime is airing a documentary about Johnny Thompson, one of the most famous magicians of his time. He performed (with wife Pam) as The Great Tomsoni for many years, and then became a mentor for other magicians who needed help devising illusions, figuring out how to make a trick better, or merely sharing […]