That’s right - I’m writing a book! Here’s the concept: I believe memdeck work is scary for a lot of magicians, but I don’t think it needs to be. I feel that there’s a solvable problem underlying all of the fear.
In the traditional memdeck approach, you can only start performing tricks with your stack after you’ve memorized the entire deck and know it backward and forward. But that’s not really fair, so I’m trying to fix that. Consider it a “Royal Road” for memdeck work…
The idea is that you’ll learn tricks using small numbers of cards that you have memorized, beginning with just one card. Then we’ll progress to five, ten, half decks, etc.
But the modular approach isn’t all I have planned. I want to reward your memorization efforts by giving you a “plussed up” version to perform once you have the full stack down. That way, you’re not just learning an inferior or simplified version of a trick. Instead, you’re learning something that will be useful down the road and give you motivation to continue. If you put the work in while you know very little of the stack, imagine how great it will be when you get the full thing down.
And the best part?! I’m going to share my progress with you, the Erudite Magic Digest subscribers. That’s right, you’ll have a front row seat to watch the book come together, learn the tricks, and [hopefully!] provide feedback. I hope this effort will give you the courage to add another [deadly] tool to your card magic arsenal.
What do you think?
Here’s your first homework assignment: what should I call the new book? I’m looking for something catchy and clever, but that also conveys the meaning behind the book.
Sunday BOMBED! 😕
So…Sunday’s episode of Erudite Magic didn’t seem to resonate like the typical episode. I’m certainly not complaining, but since you all are the insiders, I’d love some feedback as to why. I felt like the thumbnail was one of my favorites in a long time and it accurately represented the content (no clickbait!). Drop me a note or let me know what you think.
We’ll be back again with another episode soon enough, so I’m not losing any sleep, but I want to make sure I’m providing value to you, my esteemed Erudite Magicians!
EDC Magic
There’s a lot of talk about EDC these days, and I’m not immune to the trends of the time. When I think about everyday carry, one routine comes to mind: the Center Tear.
If you don’t know what it is, here’s a brief description. A participant writes down a piece of information, such as a word, number, or drawing, on a small piece of paper, and then folds the paper so the information is concealed. This paper is then typically torn into small pieces by the performer. Despite the fair nature of the process, the mentalist is able to discern the contents of the participant’s message and reveal it in whatever way is consistent with their performance style.
It really is anytime, anywhere mentalism. All you need is some paper and a writing instrument, which is exactly why this is my go-to EDC. It’s incredibly flexible, and you can tailor your presentation to whatever you think would impress your participant: a favorite movie, a loved one, a childhood pet, etc. I don’t go anywhere without a small pad of paper and a pen with me. And with just those simple [and organic] objects, I’m confident I can blow someone’s mind with a seemingly impromptu demonstration of mindreading.
While any Center Tear method will work, I use the Osterlind Perfected Center Tear after witnessing Richard himself perform this miracle. It’s a live peek version, which fits my style, although the Jinx write up is a “steal and look later” version - also perfectly acceptable if it fits your performance conditions. Ran Pink, Barrie Richardson, Bruce Bernstein, and Doug Dyment all have excellent versions depending on what books you already have on your shelf.
I doubt whether anyone knows exactly how the Center Tear came into the magic world, but we do know who popularized it - Ted Annemann in the pages of the Jinx. If you’re a paid subscriber, check below for a link to download the original write-up (and still a very performable version!).
What about you? What’s your go-to EDC magic piece? If you’re a Center Tear proponent, which one do you use?
Harry Lorayne is back
Harry Lorayne was one of the first ‘serious’ magicians I studied.
Harry started reprinting his older books in the Classic Collection volumes in 2005. It wasn’t just a simple compilation and reprint, though. All illustrations were replaced with B&W photographs, and Harry updated many of these tricks for the first time in decades.
Since I missed out on buying and studying the originals, this was a real windfall for me. I learned soooo much from those books, and I often still turn to them when I want a ‘shuffled deck in use’ impromptu stunner. All of the Classic Collection books are excellent, but Volume 1 is the best, in my opinion.
If you missed out, I bear good tidings. Lorayne: The Classic Collection, Volume 1, is now back in print! This book contains what many magicians consider the best card magic book ever written - Close-up Card Magic. But, it also includes the venerable Personal Secrets, My Favorite Card Tricks, and Deck-Sterity.
There are a ton of great tricks in this 440 page book. Some of my favorites are:
Impromptu Out of This World (p. 226)
Vernon’s Aces (p. 120) - Ricky Jay performed this on his 52 Assistants special!
Impossibility (p. 59)
Lazy Man’s Card Trick (p. 136) - see below if you’re a paid subscriber for my idea with this effect.
The (Easy) Indicator (p. 295)
Automatic Mindreading (p. 81)
The book isn’t cheap at $95 plus shipping, but I certainly think it’s a worthwhile addition to anyone’s magic library. I got my copy back in 2011 on eBay for $47, but then again, I’ve always considered myself lucky. 😉
Thanks again!
I want to thank every one of you for subscribing and supporting me through this newsletter. I’m very much enjoying discovering and creating content to share with you. If you’re enjoying it, do me a favor and tell a friend (or two!) about it.
If you’re wondering what’s in it for you, with a few referrals, you’ll quickly qualify for a month of the paid subscription, and I’d love for you to get a peek behind the curtain.
An excerpt from my book:
The Not-So-Lazy Card Trick
This won’t be the first trick in my book, but it is the first trick I devised for the idea of the book. Once you know just the top 10 cards in your preferred stack, you can do this one! Like I mentioned above, there’s a bonus for learning the whole stack, but that’s for another time.
If you want to read through it, that’s below, but I also made a video to give you the overview as well. Here’s how it works:
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