It’s been 4 years since I uploaded my first book review to YouTube! On May 10, 2020, I uploaded a review of Vanishing Inc.’s The Darkest Corners, kicking off what would be a weekly endeavor almost every Sunday for the next four years.
You might think I put a lot of thought into the name, the cadence of the content, etc. But no. I had something to say about a magic book, and I had a cell phone with a lavalier microphone. That’s all I knew at the time, and that’s all I needed. Little did I know that small seeds grow big trees.
I remember when the first video hit 100 views in a week, I couldn’t believe there were that many magicians who wanted to listen to me talk about magic books. And now, the Erudite Magic community is almost 5,000 strong. I love knowing there are so many magicians who care about magic books.
Of course, things have progressed since then. For the first year, I edited on my wife’s old Macbook Air. The hard drive was so full, I had to delete the files as soon as I was done to make room for the next video. Those original videos were edited using iMovie. Eventually, I graduated to a mirrorless DSLR, then a better microphone, softbox lights, new editing software, a faster computer, multiple camera angles, etc. I’ve learned SO MUCH about storytelling, video production, marketing, and more. What a wild ride!
Regardless of whether you’re an OG fan of Erudite Magic, or you just discovered this community last week, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this possible. Without you, there would be no reason for me to create content about magic books. But with your support, I plan to continue for a long time to come.
Where have I been?!
For the die-hards, you’ve no doubt noticed that I’ve been absent for a couple of weeks. I can assure you, everything is fine - I was traveling for both pleasure and business, but now it’s back to our regular schedule.
At the end of April, I was in Hilton Head, South Carolina, celebrating my wife’s 40th birthday and my in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary. We had a great time, but what you care about is the magic: we visited Hilton Head Comedy Magic Cabaret, headlined by Kerry Pollock and Tim Hill. If you’re ever in the Hilton Head Island area, it’s highly recommended to see their show. They have a beautiful magic theater dedicated to providing a fantastic experience: good food, great magic, and plenty of laughs.
Shortly after HHI, my wife and I joined my coworkers at Vanishing Inc in one of the most magical lands possible: Egypt. What an incredible experience! We started in Cairo, checking out the Egyptian Museum with all of its treasures from the centuries, riding on camels by the great pyramids, visiting the Great Sphinx of Giza, and eventually traveling south to Luxor and Aswan. There we had the privilege of seeing the Valley of the Kings (including the tomb of King Tut), the multitude of temples to bygone Egyptian gods (including the Temple of Isis - the goddess of magic!), and the beautiful countryside on the shores of the Nile.
On the trip, we had three lecturing magicians: Shawn Farquhar, John Guastaferro, and Ben Seidman. Each performed a show, then lectured on some of their material. In addition, Josh and Andi each performed a piece from their repertoire and opene
d up a conversation about presenting magic in a modern context.
But it wasn’t just the magic of the “big guys.” There was plenty of time to discuss magic with all of the other magicians on the trip attending as guests, both known and unknown, including Michael Ammar (as you may have seen from my video on Sunday), Karl Hein, Mike Caveney, and Tina Lenert.
All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend visiting Egypt if you have the opportunity. There’s so much rich cultural history, all steeped in magic, and it’s a beautiful place to visit.
Denny Haney Book
If you (like me) missed out the first time the Denny Haney book was released, you have another opportunity! Scott Alexander’s widow, Jenny, found some extra copies in their garage, which she sold to Vanishing Inc, who made them available for $150 each. These are not signed or numbered by the author and are missing some of the extras of the original (like a 4 DVD set), but the book content and condition are the same.
I passed on buying this when it first came out due to the price relative to the content. I was definitely interested in Denny’s advice, but at $300, it would eclipse the most expensive book set I’ve ever purchased, so I decided I wasn’t that interested. At the new price point, however, I decided to pull the trigger.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Denny, but I understand he was a huge proponent of magic books. In fact, one of his more famous sayings was “it’s in Tarbell.” I wonder how many magicians recognize the value of magic books because of Denny. 🤔
You can check it out here if you’re interested. I hope to share more thoughts in future newsletters.
I applied to Penn & Teller Fool Us
If you’re friends with me on social media, you may have seen that I applied to be on Penn & Teller Fool Us recently. I have no idea if I’ll get on, but I realized that it’s high time I do something about my performance dreams.
You see, I’ve had a bucket list goal for a long time to perform on a Vegas stage. Penn & Teller have created this amazing opportunity for magicians, opened it up to all of them, and I’ve never attempted to get on. How silly is that? There’s an opportunity to achieve a bucket list item, and I’ve never tried with an obvious solution staring me right in the face.
But here’s the point - how often do we do that with our magic? I’m a part-time professional, and I’ve had plenty of moments in my life where I’ve allowed myself to spew negative self talk: “You can’t do that. You’re not as good as those magicians. Don’t perform that - you’ll just embarrass yourself.” But the truth is, each of us has something to share with the world, and we should proclaim that boldly.
What dreams do you have for your magic, and what are you doing about it?
You have something to say?
If you have an article or a video that you think could benefit Erudite Magicians out there, send me a note and let me know what you want to say - I’d love to find a way to grow this community so you get to hear from even more voices.
I have lots more to share with you from my recent travels, and I’m not done gathering stories from trips just yet. If you’re near NYC, I’ll be in town this weekend and plan to stop by Tannen’s before I’m gone, so maybe we can meet up for a bit.
Thanks again to one and all for your support. I can’t wait to get back to work!
If you told yourself four years ago that your YouTube channel would be super successful and you’d end up working at Vanishing Inc you’d be pinching yourself! Congratulations on all the success you have and continue to reap!