Magic Prescriptions
by Joel A. Moskowitz M.D.
Willard - A Life Under Canvas & Is Life an Illusion - Jerry Andrus

A family of magicians and their Real Life Experiences -  Not a Dime Store Novel. Why do magicians buy books about other magicians?  A generic biography of most conjurers might read like this:  At age 7 - 12, a young boy (more recently also girls) was enchanted by an uncle or grandfather who pulled a coin out of his or her ear.  Or, said youth received a magic set or became the proud possessor of a Svengali deck etc ... Mesmerized and addicted, the next several years is a see-saw of attention to matters legerdemain.  Interrupted by concerns relating to education, the opposite sex, and limited finances, the story of many magicians finds the compulsion to magic waxes and wanes.(read more)

WEB NOTES...
Street of Cards
by Mike Durant
Oct/Nov 2008

I first met these fellows at the IBM/SAM Louisville Magic Convention.  Well, that is not entirely correct.  I had received a few emails from them that I unfortunately ignored because I did not know who they were and I tend to be a bit paranoid about unsolicited email.  But there they were with a dealer's booth at the convention.  The booth was a bit underwhelming at first glance.  It was pretty empty without much to see.  But, as I soon found out, that was because all their electronic gadgetry was somewhere on the sixteenth floor. They had a full working studio operating into the wee hours of the night.  (read more)

Web Notes
by Mike Durant
Review of Reel Magic

Things certainly are changing quickly in this ‘information age' and that is especially true in the world magic.  When I first started dabbling in the magical arts, printed books and magazines were the only ways to ‘distribute' magic knowledge.  Video tape came next and then the Internet, replacing books for many people.  But magazines continued to ‘hold their own'.  Sure there were electronic newsletters like Alan Watson's excellent and, despite the name, very international Magic New Zealand. (Read More)

SUCOP SUCOH
Thru the Mirror of Time by Paul Kieve
A review by
Joel Moskowitz MD   
August 2008
Magic Currents Ring 76, San Diego

Not to be confused with the book of the same name published in 1634, this Hocus Pocus authored by Paul Kieve is a Scholastic Press publication (2007) targeted for the nine to eleven years old, which is when many magic obsessions begin. Daniel Radcliffe, in his introduction, praises Kieve as one who taught him some tricks. Kieve may be less widely known than the stage name of Radcliffe, Harry Potter. Now that is impressive credentials! (read more)

Convention Review
I.B.M. Ring 129
Kansas City, Missouri
Heart of the Ring Newsletter
by Steve Steiner

The long-awaited IBM/SAM Combined Convention was held in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. A virtual who's who of magic attended the week-long convention billed as the "Magic Event that the World has been waiting for...". This was the first such combined convention in 35 years and those in attendance vowed that it wouldn't be another 35 years before the event happened again. (Read More)

Fantasma Magic
Digital Downloads
by Mike Durant
July, 2008

The I.B.M. started out (in 1922) as simple correspondence between a few magicians. After a time, the organization took shape as more and more magicians took an active part.  They talked about the latest effects in letter after letter having to wait for the next envelope to show in their postbox.  It's now the twenty-first century and things have changed...not so much in the content but more in the delivery. The folks I am going to talk about in this column have only been in the retail magic business as a company for a few years (since 2006 to be precise).  But it was started with a vision of what they could do for magic in the delivery of products and ideas.  And they have done an amazing job, so let me start off with just a little ‘hype' and an ‘attaboy' or two for Fantasma Magic. (Read More)

"The Magical Life of Marshall Brodien" reviewed by Dr. Joel A. Moskowitz M.D • May 2008 • from MagiCurrents, San Diego
Let's try a word association. If I say T.V. Magic Cards all vintage magicians around the world will immediately say, "Marshall Bodien". How did this decades old set of gaffed cards (Burling Hull invented the first Svengali Deck in1909) become such successful marketing trick of the 70s and beyond? It's all because of what has been called television's original infomercial. (read more...)

(Reviewed by Dr. Joel A. Moskowitz M D • Magic Currents • April)   "INDOCILIS PRIVATA LOQUI" is not what this book demands. "The Magic Circle: Performing Magic through the Ages" by Michael Bailey is not to keep "mum" about. The Latin injunction emblazoned on the signature shield of Britain's most secret club translates "keep mum"; quite the contrary. The English language is bereft of superlatives with which to praise this excellent book, Michael Bailey, ex-President (shouldn't it be Prime Minister?) (1998-2003)  invites the reader of this 288 pp hard backed book into the  sanctum of magicdom's most intriguing organization.  Together with photos (some in color) of the premises, an assortment of artful poster reproductions of magical greats,  and well-crafted text, the grateful reader will enjoy reveling  in magical history. (read more...) 

(April/May 2008 • By Mike Durant • Web Notes on: http://www.theory11.com/) Here is another site for you to explore and it is aptly named Theory 11. When you first open the site and see all the black backgrounds, black cards and dark tunnel vision, your initial thought might be "another Elusionist wanna be" trading on a very current and successful concept in the magic community. But, in the interest of fairness, I decided to poke around. And, after reading this, it may be well worth your time to do the same... (read more)

(Mike Durant • March) I received a URL pointer to a site from one of our members with a request to review it: milaadesign.com  The first thing to notice about this front page is that flash graphic.  I liked the ‘spooky' feel it gives the site. The most applicable thing on the front page, magically speaking, is a little ‘mind reading' ‘game'.  There are actually two variations there.  Both are similar to many others out there: ‘Think' of a number, answer a few questions ... seemingly unrelated to the number ... and the system correctly ‘guesses' it.   I am sure that you will recognize how they both work pretty quickly.  They might be fun for someone that is not familiar with these sorts of effects, but I had already groked them from the initial screen (since they were billed as mind reading)...