I.B.M. Member Profile

Leah Williamson

About Leah Williamson

 My first introduction to magic was going to The Secret magic shop at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, Iowa, where I grew up. I'd regularly spend my allowance on cheap coin change gimmicks and snapping gum packs to show off to my older brother and sister and their friends. My first 'real' performance wasn't until college, when I needed an act for a class talent show. The catch was that it was a Mandarin Chinese class, and the performance had to be entirely in Chinese. I convinced a classmate to translate a self-working math trick while I changed an orange to an apple in a paper bag. We took third place!
Advanced coursework, a new career in software, marriage, and family kept me away from performing again until 3 years ago, when I was pulled back in by a visit to Eddie's Trick Shop in Decatur. I'd gone in there at first for Halloween costumes for my kids, but kept finding a reason to come back so I could see the owner, Bob McKinnon, perform tricks. Eventually I signed up for his magic class, along with two other adults and about 5 boys under the age of 12 -- and loved every minute of learning cups and balls, paddle sticks, and rope tricks! Bob, or Trebor as he was known on stage, encouraged me to go to a local magic club meeting, which ended up being our very own I.B.M. Ring 9 in Atlanta. I performed for membership to join the club and kept finding more excuses to perform -- to win a coveted blue pin, to open for a friend's show, and to contribute to our club's annual Holiday banquet. But mostly, I cherished the opportunity to see other magicians perform and learn from the lectures. The showmanship, creativity, cleverness, and wonder of a great magic performance still captivates me as much now as it did as a child.