issue60

...History is many things to many people. We are told that those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. That history is written by the winners or that history is nothing more than a shared myth that often lapses into melodrama. Henry Ford is reputed to have said that history is bunk. But I guess it would take a historian to tell us whether that is true. There were plenty of historians at the 9th Los Angeles Conference on Magic History and it was pleasure to share their enthusiasms whether it was for clippings from Chicago newspapers, the illusions of Jack Gwynne, the adventures of Harry Cooke or the mechanical marvel that was Karl Germain's Lock. They showed that when it comes to the history of magic the words of Harry S. Truman ring true: 'The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know.'

The Los Angeles Conference on Magic History is one of magic's better kept secrets. It takes place every two years at the Beverly Garland Hotel where it is hosted by Mike Caveney, Frankie Glass, John Gaughan and Jim Steinmeyer ably assisted by Joan Lawton and Steve Dick. And whereas many conventions today seek to swell their numbers by thousands, attendance at this event is limited to around 250 guests, which is a comfortable number for the organizers to work with and the hotel to accommodate. I don't think the event is ever advertised yet there is always a waiting list for those wishing to attend......

...Lamont's lecture was funny and sceptical and, like his previous lecture on the Indian Rope Trick, thoroughly enjoyable. Then came the coup de grace. Lamont stated that not everyone liked his book about Home. Indeed there had been some negative comments. He flashed a slide up on the presentation screen. It was headed Negative Comments. Except the comment was very laudable indeed and came from one of Britain's best newspapers. He apologised. It must be the wrong slide. Another slide came up. But this too contained only praise for Lamont's book. Oops. Another mistake. A third slide appeared. And then a fourth. And they all contained more glowing praise for The First Psychic. Several slides later the sole negative comment appeared. It said The First Psychic left the reviewer 'starving for air.' It was from Genii magazine. And it got a huge laugh because they knew that its author, Jamy Ian Swiss, was sitting in the audience...

From MYTH, MELODRAMA AND BUNK! By David Britland

...While on the subject of close-up competitions, a rumour of one of the worst bits of scandalous decision making by judges in a magic contest ever landed on the Opus desk the other day. This rumour from, as they say, a pretty reliable source had it that a competitor who was in first place in a close up competition wasn't given the prize because he was considered to be too old to be able to project "a good image" of the club. No prizes for guessing which club but a pint for guessing which member of that club (clue, a past winner of the same competition) and sitting as a judge was the one to voice this view. It would be more than a pint but for the fact that those who know a little of this man's dreadful previous behaviour will have little trouble in guessing his identity...

From CLICK! CLICK!

...Many moons ago a young Portuguese magician came to the Opus stand at an IBM convention and inquired about the magazine. Despite being treated rather poorly ("We don't have much in the way of children's magic" I told him) this young guy subscribed to Opus. I always remember sticking the airmail stickers and stamps and sending the latest issue off to Coimbra in Portugal. What a funny old world it is! Years later and I find myself working for this Portuguese super star who also heads of one of Portugal's largest production companies. He is Luis de Matos.

Watching a "star" at work from inside his organisation teaches you a great deal about the business of show business. And when that "star" is a magician, you learn things about magic and it's presentation that you didn't think about when you were working that show at the Luton Sports and Social Club at Christmas...

...Have to laugh a bit when listening to non-mentalist magicians talking about mental magic. Such a tendency to disapprove! Of course I see the problem of unnerving people, or worse. There is obviously a danger of preying too much on suggestible minds. But I can't help feeling that so often 'non-mental' magic - even the simplest card-trick - has elements of 'I know what you're thinking' in its presentation. It has to be - you can't say 'I know your card because I've done x force or y palm or z manipulation', can you?...