Year: 2023

So, what made me not write my book?

Well, have you ever been to the Wellcome Collection? If not, and if you are in London, especially near Euston, make a visit. They have displays and events on science, the body, medicine and more.

And some years ago they had an exhibition about magic. It was pretty good.

Afterwards, I was looking at the dedicated books in the bookshop, and found this: Experiencing The Impossible, by Gustav Kuhn.

So now we know. My Web searching skills are not so good.

Now, you can find this book easily enough, new copies and used. While it’s not really what I was aiming at, it does a good job and is worth a read. It has some faults (what book doesn’t), faults I could see mine would have only worse. So that was the end of that.

Oh well…

So, I had this idea about writing a book, or at least a slim volume, on magic.

When people see a magic act, what do they expect to see? What do they actually see?

Why do they clap? Is it because others are clapping, or they are genuinely entertained by mystery and a suspension of disbelief, or because they acknowledge the magician’s skill and dedication?

(Actually, as a sideline to that latter, let us acknowledge that for so many illusions, it’s the assistant who does all the work and has all the skill. Look at this famous clip. To his credit, Harbin did design the trick, but he talks a lot while the girl does the contortions inside that box to make the effect:

Ah classic, sexist clips and all.)

What’s the point of stage magic??