The Penguin Magic Monthly Interview That Wasn't, Part 3: The Conclusion

You have developed a somewhat unique style. Your magic is involved, personal, audience-centric, and creative. I’ve heard others call this type of magic Jerx inspired, or even Jerxian. What is the first thing that you remember creating or performing that was Jerxian?

Huh. That’s a good question. I wish I had a really concrete answer for it. But that would make it seem like I was doing magic in a traditional way for a long time and then just stumbled into a “Jerxian” performance. And that’s not really what it was. The truth is that it was a gradual progression and one day I just realized that the style of performance I was somewhat different than what other people were doing. It’s not that the aspects of the “Jerx style” (as you said: involved, personal, audience-centric, creative) were something that I brought to magic. They were always there, but they were on a spectrum. My contribution was just extending the end of that spectrum past where most people had considered viable previously.

So there was no demarcation where I thought, “Ah! This is a ‘jerxian’ routine.”

That being said, one of the first times I recognized the value of some of the elements I would incorporate in my later work is when I was on five-day retreat for my old day-job. I can’t say it’s a super specific memory. But I had a single deck of cards with me and was showing people some tricks over the course of those five days. And as the days passed the cards got marked up and signed and drawn on. And I ended up doing some variations on tricks from earlier in our time there, so themes were repeating, and ideas were recurring, and I was able to take advantage of their expectations from the earlier performances. That was very much a formative experience where I began to see how much stronger tricks were if they weren’t just isolated moments and if you could connect the tricks over time through thematic elements and stuff like that. That experience planted some seeds.

You have published half a dozen books and created a ton of online content. Are you running out of steam? Is it getting harder to create at the same level?

Not really. I feel like the more ideas I put out, the more ideas I have. I used to think I would need time away from magic and away from the site to generate ideas—to “refill the tank.” But in reality I just need time away as a rest from magic altogether. I don’t generate many ideas when I’m taking a break from thinking about magic and performing for people.

There were times, early on, when I thought maybe I’d run out of ideas if I kept pumping out content for years on end. But now I think just think, Have ALL the good ideas in magic been found? No. And if that’s the case then it means there are more for people to find, and I’m probably more likely to stumble across them than most because I spend so much time thinking about magic. So I won’t feel like I’m out of ideas until I feel there are no ideas left to be found by anyone. Which is not going to happen.

What bucket list items have you accomplished in magic? What are you looking to accomplish in the future?

There was never anything I really wanted to accomplish in magic. I guess writing the first book felt like an accomplishment when I first did it. And I think if I had just written one book it would still feel that way. But at a certain point, if you do something enough times, it stops feeling like an accomplishment. Which is too bad. Otherwise I could still be celebrating shitting in the toilet consistently.

As far as what I’m looking to accomplish in the future, my lack of ambition may sound pathetic, but I don’t really have things I’m striving for. My priorities in life are happiness and freedom. And I make the choices that I feel will bring me the most of those things. But my happiness isn’t very outcome-dependent. I’m not like, “I just won’t be satisfied until someone produces my screenplay!!!!” (Although I do think it would be fun to write a movie.)

If people like your style of magic, what are other resources they could look into? Who else out there is making magic like you?

I know there are some other people who were inspired by the site to explore similar territory. I don’t really follow any of that work, but it’s not because I doubt that it’s any good. It’s because I think my idea of what this site is—and what my work as a whole is—would suffer if I was influenced by others who are along their own paths.

Now, for my sake, I’m sure I’d be better off if I was actively pursuing ideas and conclusions other people had uncovered in this style of magic. But I think what’s interesting about the site and the books etc., is that you’re following one person’s journey as he discovers certain things through experimentation and performance. Not through reading other people’s ideas.

Like if you’re really into Tamariz, I feel like it would be cool if he kept a blog for 50 years and you were able to watch the ideas come into being and change and morph and get amplified or discarded based on his experiences. That seems more interesting than just him saying, “Here are my conclusions.”

As far as people who came before me who explored similar territory, there aren’t a ton that I know of.

Michael Weber is someone I frequently hear comparisons to. Not in the sense of our magical intellect (I’m clearly much smarter) but because I think we touch on similar concepts, just in somewhat different styles.

Also, your boy, Acar “Alvo Stockman” Altinsel, before he was too busy counting his Penguin Magic money, put out some tricks that have similarities to the stuff I’ve written about. Namely, Poetry Reading, Mix Tape, and Postmentalism. That material is all unabashedly about the effect and not reset time, pocket management, or how big of an audience it plays to.

What new habit, behavior, or belief, have you adopted recently that has changed your magic for the better?

My new habit/behavior I’ll save for a future post, probably Wednesday, because it would take too long to explain.

A belief that isn’t actually new to me, but is something I’ve recommitted to lately, is the belief that most tricks should be under 10 seconds or over 5 minutes. That’s where I get my strongest reactions. Tricks that come out of nowhere and seem spontaneous, or tricks that allow time for some sort of build up of anticipation and tension. I feel like everything that’s important either happens instantly or takes some time. And so a two and a half minute card trick almost feel inconsequential by its nature.

Now, the trick itself doesn’t have to be long, but the experience of it, the build-up to it, and the story that goes along with it should take some time (assuming it’s not a trick that’s over in seconds). If I look at a 2 minute trick and think, “This would be boring if I made it any longer,” then that suggests that it’s not a good trick. Every story worth telling or experience worth having should be able to sustain at least five minutes of interaction.

(Of course I’m talking about amateur/social magic.)

If you could talk to every magician in the world, what would you tell them?

“You’re killing it! Keep doing what you’re doing!”

I wouldn’t tell them anything useful. I like that the average magician isn’t very good. There was a concept I wrote about last year called “The Bubble” which refers to a person’s range of appreciation for a given art-form. Bad magicians aren’t good for magic, but they’re very good for me. They set people’s “bubble” very low. Which means I can come in with something that’s just pretty good and have a profound effect on them. And I still have a lot of room to grow and show them even more powerful stuff.

What can we do to support you as a creator?

Nothing! I’m supported. Thanks though.