Magic serves as an integral part of Shirley Ray's life
by Dennis Schick

Q. First of all, congratulations on being elected president of the largest I.B.M. Ring in the world. Tell us how you came to that position.

A. Thank you. I was honoured to be asked and look forward to representing the British Ring as its ambassador during my presidential year. Of course joining and being an active member of a magic club is important, along with the willingness to volunteer and to accept responsibility. When I lived in Scotland, I was a member of Edinburgh Magic Circle and the Forth Valley Magic Circle.
(Read More, See Photos)

Clark leaps to action,
heads to aid Haitians

Mel Kientz sends this along to inform us about the work of James L. Clark, who is on a mission to help the people of Haiti. He believes in action, not talk. Trained as a combat medic, James served in both combat arms and special operations.
 
James L. Clark is one of America's top purveyor of chicanery and other subterfuges of the mind.  He is an award-winning performer who has amazed audiences since the age of 13 when he was booked to give a show for a local printing company. By his sixteenth birthday he has graduated from close-up sleight of hand to stage illusions and advanced escapes, many of which he designed and built himself.
(Read More, Watch Videos, Donate)

Hocus in Focus team goes the extra mile with reviews

The Hocus in Focus team over at The Linking Ring covered a tremendous amount of ground in 2009 reviewing the latest books, videos/DVDs, tricks, ebooks, pamphlets and other magical offerings to give you an independent and unbiased review so that you can make a fully informed buying decision.

It is staggering to see everything that has come under their watchful eyes. Due to space limitations, not every review can appear in The Linking Ring. So, as you peruse this series of PDF files, you might see some familiar reviews, while others might be new.
(Read More and Download Reviews)

May 2010 be a
very magical year
by Bobby Warren

How was 2009 for you? Personally, it was a good year for me and my wife. We got a handle on our finances after taking a class promoting financial peace. We began knocking out our debt, no longer used credit, established a spending plan before the beginning of each month and brought our spending under control. While things were going well on the personal side, the number of magic and mindreading shows decreased nearly by half.

While the shows were not what they once were, new magical doors opened for me when Samuel Patrick Smith tapped me to be the editor of this Web Portal in late 2009. (Read More)

Bracco's blog adds
'International' flavor
by Gregory Bracco

Season's Greetings from South Korea the land of the morning calm. To all my friends in magic out there I hope that during this holiday season you were able to find some time, between your busy performing schedules, to spend with your family and loved ones to enjoy some holiday cheer. To those of you who don’t know me, I wish you the same and hope the New Year can bring us the opportunity to meet and discuss our common love for the art of magic.

Recently, I was asked by our new I.B.M. Portal editor, Bobby Warren, if I would interested in doing a series of monthly articles for the Web site.
(Read More)