Dustings #56
/Thanks to those of you who sent complimentary emails about Wednesday’s post. I didn’t get a chance to reply to each one. That post was in my head for so long that it comes to a point where I assume someone else must have made that point already. Which I’m fine with, so long as I’m adding something to what came before.
As I’ve discussed before on this site, I don’t read much magic theory. First, because most of what I read doesn’t feel like it applies to me. And second, because I don’t want it to interfere with what I’m writing about on this site and in my books, which is my own journey in magic and the things I’m learning from performing. That being said, if I do write something that overlaps significantly with something someone else wrote, please do let me know. That’s not like something that would bother me. I’d be happy to hear that and update the post with that information.
I saw that Joshua Jay mentioned me in his new book, How Magicians Think. I have to admit, I was at first confused by some of what he said. Here is an excerpt from page 299.
A lot of this is just inaccurate. My trick with the time capsule uses a signed card, not a cellphone. And in the ring trick (which is called Faith, not Letting Go), the ring reappears… well, wherever you want that you have access to. But probably not in a drawer in their apartment. So what’s going on here? Well, either Josh was drunk when he wrote this (likely) or maybe he’s doing me a favor. Those two tricks he mentioned are two of the strongest tricks I’ve created, but he made them seem even more impossible. And given that there will be more copies of his book published than copies of every magic book I ever write combined, he’s kind of boosting my legend a little. So thanks Josh!
The site is also mentioned in the notes section. And again, it’s a weird mention.
Sooo… that post he mentions has absolutely nothing to do with what he’s talking about in that chapter. But it does link to a post that links to the Dumb Houdini store (a site that puts a little bit of money in my pocket whenever someone buys something from there). So again, thanks Josh!
I like this review of Josh’s book:
Yeah, c’mon, Josh. What the fuck. How am I supposed to follow this? Every time he says “she” I think, “Wait… is he talking about the magician’s mom now?” I’m thrown every time.
And yes, I understand that in this new world order, women can finally do magic too, and we should acknowledge that. But I found this passage particularly pandering and strange:
“The best trick in magic is sponge balls. When a magician performs sponge balls she gets a feeling of excitement, because she knows it’s going to get a great response. Her breasts will heave in anticipation of the audience’s amazement. Her labia will quiver with delight. The combination of vaginal mucus and lubrication (which can contain carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and other acids produced by the normal lactobacillus bacteria) will drip down her inner thigh. Performing the sponge ball trick, and seeing her spectator’s awestruck faces, will validate her decision not to follow society’s path of becoming a wife and mother—and instead to pursue her dreams of becoming a world-famous magicienne.”
Ooooookay…. That’s weird, right?