January 2008

Look for my second column in this month’s issue of Street Magic Magazine. 

I’ve done a few shows this month, but most of my time has been spent on finalizing things for my new book.  This project has been a labor of love for about 7 years.  The artist I hired recently took several pictures of my hands and is fast at work to make illustrations for all of the effects. This will be the most stylistic book of its kind when it is finished. 

The book will feature a collection of classic bar betchas, brain teasers, jokes, puzzles and magic tricks.  Most of the material has been collected from my 20 plus years of performing my magic in restaurants.  I forsee this to be volume one of a five book set.

The focus of the book is to show the reader how to do funny and amazing things with common everyday objects found in your home or in a restaurant.  The book will fit in your shirt pocket, have a black faux leather binding, have silver gilded edges, have a black ribbon marker, will be printed on a nice glossy paper stock and about 150 woodcut style drawings.  All in all there will be 75 effects and I expect it to run about 130 pages.  Plus, Martin Gardner was kind enough to write the foreword of the book.

Self-publishing is expensive but the only way to go in my mind.  Many clients and colleagues have suggested that I sell the books now to help override some of my upfront expenses.  The book will retail for $20.00.  I am offering the books for presale.  I expect the book to be out before the end of August 2008.  If you don’t want one for yourself then it might make an excellent gift for someone you know.