Conversations With Close

Piff the Magic Dragon S5 E4

October 26, 2023 13:00 - 48 minutes - 33 MB

These days, our friend Piff is a very busy dragon. Joined by his partner Jade Simone and Mr. Piffles the Wonder Chihuahua, he headlines his own show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, tours North America (with a completely different show!), and makes numerous television appearances. He is also an author, with a new book recently released through Vanishing, Inc. (You can read my review at Michaelclose.com in the October 2023 Newsletter.) Piff came to the attention of the magic world with h...

Friedrich Roitzsch S5 E3

May 16, 2023 15:42 - 42 minutes - 29.5 MB

Friedrich Roitzsch is a full-time professional magician based in Munich, Germany. He is also the author of the excellent new book, Instructions for Miracles, which is reviewed in this month’s newsletter. We discussed Friedrich’s background, his introduction to magic, and his influences. I’m happy to bring him to your attention. Going forward, I’m sure he will be a big influence in the world of card magic. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/su...

Christian Bischof Interview S5 E2

April 01, 2023 15:01 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MB

My guest this month on Conversations with Close is someone who may be unfamiliar to you. Christian Bischof is a Swiss corporate entertainer who has recently published an extremely valuable two-volume set of books titled Diamonds of Performance: How Magicians Fascinate Their Audience. Christian discusses important theoretical concepts as they apply to three areas of magic performance: the trick, the performer, and the performing situation. He then shows how he utilized these concepts in his o...

John Bannon Interview S5 E1

January 18, 2023 13:14 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MB

John Bannon is a prolific creator of high-quality magic (emphasis on card magic). His published works include Impossibilia, Smoke & Mirrors, Dear Mr. Fantasy, High Caliber, Destination Zero, and Mentalissimo. In cooperation with Big Blind Media he has produced several DVDs, including Move Zero, a four-DVD set focusing on self-working card magic. He also contributes a regular card column, “Dealing with It,” for Genii. John’s new book, Very Hush-hush, will soon be available through Squash Pub...

Steve Valentine Interview S4 E7

November 20, 2022 18:20 - 1 hour - 77 MB

Steve Valentine is a world-class magician (two-time recipient of the Magic Castle’s Close-up Magician of the Year award), a magic scholar, a creator, and an actor with an impressive CV. (Just take a look at his IMDB page.) His most recent acting project is Monster High: The Movie, which airs on the Disney+ streaming service. Recently, Steve has been performing his new, one-man show, Mr. Valentine Blows Your Mind, here in Canada; it has received rave reviews. Steve also keeps busy curating...

Amy Kimlat Interview S4 E6

October 16, 2022 15:16 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

Amy Kimlat has written a new book (Hocus Pocus Practice Focus: The Making of a Magician) geared toward young readers who have an interest in magic. The book was based on Amy’s experiences as a young magician, and the mishaps that influenced her to abandon the hobby for many years. I spoke to Amy from her home in Orlando, Florida. We discussed her background, how she rekindled her enthusiasm for magic, and the goals she hopes to accomplish through this book. --- Support this podcast: http...

Danny DaOrtiz Interview S4 E5

September 09, 2022 14:19 - 1 hour - 65 MB

Dani DaOrtiz is certainly one of the best-known creators and performers in the magic world. At the 2022 Quebec FISM, he won a special award for his writings on magic theory and philosophy. He continues to lecture and perform around the world. Dani’s book, Freedom of Expression, is finally available in English. His book provides the foundation of Dani’s approach to the forcing of cards (and other objects). Dani and I talked about the book; in particular, he focused on the incorrect assumptio...

Steve Spill S4 E4

April 20, 2022 12:48 - 59 minutes - 55 MB

In a career spanning fifty years, Steve Spill has done it all – close-up performer, bar magician, comedy clubs, concert venues (opening for rock bands), Vegas variety shows – culminating with a twenty-year run as the owner and featured performer at Magicopolis, a theater in Santa Monica, California. Steve’s new book, Assassin, is an entertaining handbook of hows and whys of creating a sustainable career as a professional magician. The last time Steve and I chatted for any length was back in...

Martin Lewis Interview S4 E3

March 16, 2022 22:07 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MB

Martin Lewis is one of magic’s finest performers, and one of its most ingenious creators. His effects can be found in the repertoires of magicians around the world. There has not been a big book of Martin’s magic since 1985, when Martin’s Magic (written by Eric Lewis) appeared. Soon, the long wait for a new book will be over; Making Magic, a marvellous compilation of Martin’s material will be available in May. I’ve known Martin for many years, but because he lives in California and I never ...

Steve Cohen Interview S4 E2

February 16, 2022 14:15 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MB

Steve Cohen is a New York City-based magician whose show, Chamber Magic, has been running Off-Broadway for twenty years, first at the Waldorf Astoria New York, and, at present, in an exclusive salon in the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. For decades, Steve has been researching and studying the life and magic of Max Malini. The result of that endeavour is a marvellous new book, Max Malini: King of Magicians – Magician of Kings. It is a must-buy for magic historians and close-up magic enthusiast...

Larry Hass Interview S4 E1

January 14, 2022 16:18 - 1 hour - 57.9 MB

Lawrence Hass, Ph.D. is the Dean of the McBride Magic & Mystery School in Las Vegas, successor in that role to his friend and mentor, Eugene Burger. He is former Professor of Humanities at Austin College and former Professor of Philosophy and Theater Arts at Muhlenberg College. In 2010 he retired from college teaching to pursue magic full-time as a performer, teacher, author, and publisher. I spoke to Larry about his start in magic, his association with Mystery School, and his new book, Eug...

Boris Wild Interview S3 E10

November 09, 2021 13:58 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MB

Boris Wild is a well-known performer, lecturer, and creator of magic, including the ingenious marked-deck system that bears his name. The pandemic quarantine sidelined his busy traveling schedule, but he used the down time to create a new lecture (and a new set of lecture notes), Variations. I spoke to Boris from his home outside Paris. We discussed his beginnings in magic, his award-winning close-up act, and the event that instigated his investigation of marked decks. I'm sure you will enjo...

Josh Jay Interview S3 E9

September 07, 2021 15:46 - 1 hour - 32.7 MB

I’ve known Joshua Jay since he was a youngster, and I’ve followed his development as a performer, a creator, an author, and a businessman. He has lectured and performed around the world, spent twelve years as the tricks columnist for MAGIC magazine, founded (with Andi Gladwin) the successful online magic store Vanishing, Inc., and has written several well-received books for the general public. His latest book, How Magicians Think, will be released soon. I caught up with Josh as he was about ...

Bob Farmer Interview S3 E8

August 13, 2021 14:02 - 1 hour - 76.8 MB

For more than four decades, Bob Farmer has been a prolific creator of high-caliber magic effects. But in that time, I don’t recall anyone doing an in-depth interview with him. I’m happy to rectify that situation this month. Bob and I spoke for ninety minutes, discussing his introduction to magic, his music career, his law school experience, his outside-the-box approach to job interviews, his work with the band Rush, the history of the “little hand” trick, and much more. --- Support this ...

Sylvain Juzan Interview S3 E7

July 12, 2021 12:59 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MB

This month’s guest on Conversations with Close is Sylvain Juzan. Sylvain and I met briefly at a Genii convention a few years ago, and then got to spend a bit more time when he appeared on season 7a of Fool Us. I spoke to Sylvain about his background, his new book, Every Card You Take – I’ll be Watching You, and his approach to creating magic. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Roberto Giobbi Interview S3 E6

June 15, 2021 12:48 - 1 hour - 53.9 MB

If you have any interest at all in card magic, I’m sure the name Roberto Giobbi is familiar to you. He is a prolific author, a frequent contributor to magazines (his column in Genii has run for fourteen years), a lecturer, a teacher, and an experienced performer. His new book, Sharing Secrets: The 52 Most Important and Practical Strategies in Magic, is fantastic. In it, Giobbi has solved a problem I have struggled with for thirty years: how to teach the theoretical principles of magic in a w...

Jamy Ian Swiss Interview S3 E5

May 07, 2021 15:19 - 1 hour - 46.9 MB

This month my guest on Conversations with Close is an old friend, Jamy Ian Swiss. Jamy is an author, a public speaker, a close-up and stand-up performer, and an activist in the skeptic community. We talked about a wide variety of subjects; Jamy offered some great stories he has never shared in interviews before. We also discussed his new book, The Conjurer’s Conundrum. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Dr. Michael Rubinstein S3 E4

April 05, 2021 16:58 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB

Dr. Michael Rubinstein has been a major player in the coin magic world since the 1980s. His new book, Rubinstein Coin Magic contains the best of his published creations, previously unpublished material, and routines from his friends around the world. Michael appeared on Penn and Teller: Fool Us a few seasons ago, performing a memorable Wild Coin routine. We had not spoken in a while, so we caught up via Zoom. We discuss his new book, his friendship with David Roth, his love of puns, and how...

Richard Kaufman Interview S3 E3

March 06, 2021 13:27 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB

Richard Kaufman is a prolific author and publisher; his output includes some of the best books of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. For more than twenty years he has been the editor of Genii magazine. His most recent book, Mr. Jennings Takes it Easy, has been in the works for many years. I spoke to Richard from his home in Washington, DC. We talked about his process, his relationship with Larry Jennings, the trials and tribulations of publishing, and much more. Several times during...

Eric Mead S3 E2

February 13, 2021 20:55 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MB

Eric Mead is a gifted performer, a creator, an author, a genuinely funny human being, and the man responsible for the ten-percent solution on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His book, Tangled Web, is full of great routines, and is required reading for those of you interested in memorized deck magic. Eric chimed in on one of my Facebook live video broadcasts. It had been a while since we had chatted; I thought this would be the perfect time to catch up with him. The conversation ranged from Eric’s ...

Scott Alexander Interview - S3 E1

January 05, 2021 18:58 - 34 minutes - 32.3 MB

Scott Alexander is one of magic’s few general practitioners, equally adept at close-up, parlor, and stage magic. He has created and marketed some excellent, professional-caliber routines. He was also a close friend to the late Denny Haney, whom he considers to be his mentor. Later this month, Scott will release Denny Haney: Collected Wisdom – The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Denny Haney and the Denny & Lee Magic Show. It is a big book, full of great stories, sound advice, and terrific, full...

John Carney Interview S2 E5

December 08, 2020 15:55 - 44 minutes - 41.3 MB

John Carney has been a friend for more than forty years. He is an author, one of the world’s finest sleight-of-hand performers, a serious student of conjuring, and one of the funniest people I know. I spoke to John via Zoom. Our conversation ranged far and wide, from his early years at the Magic Castle, his mentors, to his development as an artist, his current approach to sleight of hand and his new book coming out in January. We could have chatted for hours. I think you’ll enjoy this inte...

Andrew Golder & Lincoln Hiatt Interview S2E4

November 10, 2020 15:31 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MB

Late in the evening on October 21, 2020, production wrapped on season 7b of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. I had been working on pre-production since early June. While I have written about the show in various places and have discussed it on my podcasts and the podcasts of others, I had never done an interview with Executive Producers Andrew Golder and Lincoln Hiatt, two gentlemen with whom I was in daily communication for almost five months. Happily, they both agreed to an interview, which we did ...

Guilherme Silveira Interview - Season 2, Episode 3

October 05, 2020 17:53 - 32 minutes - 30.3 MB

My guest on Conversations with Close this month is a relative newcomer to the world of magic: Brazil’s Guilherme Silveira. You may have seen Guilherme on season seven of Fool Us, which aired during the summer. His routine featured an interesting wrinkle on using a smart phone in a prediction effect. Guilherme’s background is in mathematics and software design. I met him last year, when he contacted me about an effect he was working on. We have had weekly sessions since then, and Guilherme h...

Doc Dixon Interview Season 2 - Episode 2

September 15, 2020 15:53 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

I met Doc Dixon almost thirty years ago; we have shared some memorable and hilarious experiences. I’m sure most of you saw Doc’s fooling performance on season six of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, in which he put a whole new spin on the venerable Three-shell Game. (A historical note for Fool Us fans: FU director Dennis Rosenblatt kept the signed cork pea used in the routine. He has it in his “How the hell am I supposed to shoot this?” file. I had a lot of fun working with Doc during preproduction ...

Asher and McKinstry Interview - Season 2 - Episode 1

January 29, 2020 15:59 - 46 minutes - 43.5 MB

For many magicians, playing cards have an undeniable fascination; enthusiasts eagerly snatch up every newly released pack they can get their hands on. (As someone wryly posted on Facebook, designer decks are the magical equivalent of Beanie Babies.) For serious playing-card collectors, their interest transcends the mere aesthetic appeal of new back and face designs. They study the history of playing card manufacturing: the mechanical processes involved, the innovations discovered, and the bu...

Stephen Bargatze & Rick Merrill Interview - Episode 16

November 07, 2019 14:15 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MB

One of the reasons I was eager to attend the OWOW Magic Festival was that two old friends were also going to be performing there. I’ve known Stephen Bargatze for at least thirty years, and I’ve known Rick Merrill almost that long. (When he was fifteen, Rick sent me a letter offering an improvement to one of my tricks. I don’t hold that against him.) Both men are funny in their bones; they can make you laugh until the tears run down your pants leg. - October, 2019 --- Support this podcas...

Ryan Joyce Interview - Episode 15

October 07, 2019 13:42 - 36 minutes - 34.1 MB

Ryan Joyce is a busy performer, and he has been ever since he graduated from high school. For ten years, he performed a touring illusion show that crisscrossed Canada. He then entered the cruise-ship market, performing illusions, a smaller stand-up show, and a hypnosis act. Ryan also has an avid interest in technology and filmmaking, both of which are showcased in his online Magician’s Masterclass series (www.magic-masterclass.com). Ryan is currently in the middle of preparations for the ...

David Regal Interview - Episode 14

August 31, 2019 22:28 - 1 hour - 58 MB

My guest this month is one of my favourite performers and creators, David Regal. Although our paths have crossed at the occasional magic convention over the years, we’ve never really had the opportunity to spend time chatting about magic. I regret that, because David is an “evangelist” for quality magic – magic with an elegant method, and an interesting and evocative “hook.” In other words (and as the title of his new book implies), magic that showcases a performer’s unique interpretation of...

Paul Vigil Interview - Episode 13

August 02, 2019 14:13 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MB

This Conversations with Close podcast features an interview with Paul Vigil, who, in the past few years, has established himself as one of the top-flight performers and creators in the world of magic. Paul’s skills were well known to the magicians of Las Vegas, but it is only recently, with the publication of his books Classic Fantastic and Doors of Deception and his performances and lectures, that magicians around the world have come to recognize and appreciate his contribution to magic. W...

Johnny and Pam Thompson - Episode 12

July 09, 2019 14:09 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MB

In March 2013, I ran a cover story on Pam Thompson in M-U-M. While there had been many stories about Johnny Thompson in magic magazines, there had not been one on Pam, who was an integral part of the Tomsoni & Company act. In preparation for that article, I recorded several phone conversations with Pam. There were a few things she could not recall, so I scheduled another phone call that would include Johnny, who had amazing recall of dates, people, and events. We talked about how Johnny and...

Harry Lorayne - Episode 11

July 09, 2019 13:53 - 45 minutes - 42.4 MB

I met Harry Lorayne in the spring/summer of 1975. At the time, I was going to music school at Butler University. I lived not far from campus and was home for lunch. As I watched the noon news, I heard the following announcement: “After this commercial break, we’ll be back with memory expert, Harry Lorayne.” I never saw the interview, because I immediately hopped in my car and headed downtown to the TV studio. (Fortunately, it wasn’t that far away.) I sat in the lobby; Harry came in from the ...

Matt Disero - Episode 10

July 09, 2019 13:49 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MB

Matt is one of the busiest professional comedy magicians around; he works corporate events, cruise ships, and comedy clubs. He is also in demand as a writer for television. You may ave seen Matt on the fourth season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His experience on the show led him to an important insight, one I had not previously considered when I analyzed acts. I have shared that insight with some of the performers who have been booked for the show. I sat down with Matt Matt stopped by betw...

Bruce Kalver - Episode 9

July 07, 2019 13:32 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

I had a chance to chat with my old friend, Bruce Kalver. He was the president of The Society of American Magicians when I was hired to be the editor of M-U-M. He authored several feature stories for me and also wrote one of the most popular columns in the magazine, Tech Tricks (which continues to this day). Bruce’s story is a fascinating one. He was born into a show-biz family, has performed professionally since age ten, hosted a popular radio show in Rhode Island, and is the creator and pr...

Jeff Pinsky - Episode 8

July 04, 2019 15:52 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MB

Jeff Pinsky is the owner and operator of The Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. I sat down with Jeff at the Den in June 2019. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Jeff Altman - Episode 7

July 04, 2019 15:49 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MB

Jeff Altman is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and magician who has appeared as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman a combined 45 times. Altman mesmerized contemporaries like David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld, and inspired future comedians like Judd Apatow. I had a wonderful conversation with Jeff in January 2019. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Andi Gladwin & Josh Jay - Episode 6

July 04, 2019 15:47 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MB

Andi Gladwin is a British magician, speaker, and publisher. He has appeared on television numerous times, has lectured for magicians throughout the UK, US and Europe and written / published books on magic. Joshua Jay is a magician, author, and lecturer. He has performed in over 100 countries, and he was awarded the top prize at the World Magic Seminar in 1998. He fooled Penn and Teller on their hit show, Fool Us, and he holds a Guinness World Record for card tricks. I had the chance to sit...

Mac King - Episode 5

July 04, 2019 15:43 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

Mac King is an American magician who has performed on television specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show", at the Harrah's Las Vegas in the Clint Holmes Theater. Here is the chat via Skype. (Sept 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

R. Paul Wilson - Episode 4

July 04, 2019 15:30 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

R. Paul Wilson is a close-up magician, filmmaker, and author. Michael sat down with R. Paul Wilson at the Ring 129 Workshop Convention in St. Joseph, Missouri. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Anthony Owen - Episode 3

July 04, 2019 13:44 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MB

Anthony Owen was a magician, mentalist, and producer. Michael caught up with Anthony at the Sesson in London, England. (January 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Pit Hartling - Episode 2

July 04, 2019 13:42 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MB

Pit Hartling is one of Germany's most requested entertainers and Michael got a chance to sit down with him for a conversation in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the shooting of Penn & Teller's: FOOL US show. (March 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Tim Trono - Episode 1

July 04, 2019 13:37 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MB

Tim Trono is a magician, magic producer and creator. Michael caught up with Tim at the Session in London, England (January 2018). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

Conversations With Close

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