Conversations With Close

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 interview.

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 via Zoom. I think you’ll find it entertaining and informative; I learned several things I did not know before. This Conversations with Close link is audio only. However, there is a video version of the interview; you can find the link in the Members Only section at www.MichaelClose.com.

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 has impressed me with his ingenuity and his ability to quickly absorb and implement the ideas we discuss. He has been honing his presentational skills through free Zoom shows he does for family, friends, and business associates, and he is constantly working on new material. I spoke to Guilherme via Zoom from his home in Brazil.

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 for that season of Fool Us. Doc has been hunkering down in his home in Georgia during these crazy times. I thought it would be fun to chat with him and find out his thoughts on life, the universe, and everything. I enjoyed our conversation very much, and I think you will, too.

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 businessmen who headed the companies that provided settlers, gamblers, and just-plain-ordinary folk with a convenient way to pass the time. When it comes to the history of playing cards, Lee Asher and Jason McKinstry are two of the most knowledgeable people on the planet. Lee Asher is know for his many contributions to card magic. Jason McKinstry is not a magician; he is a collector and historian, and he has recently published the first volume of a new series of books: Paper Empires – A Historical Journey of America’s Early Playing Card Makers.  The three of us had a lively discussion about playing card history, with a focus on two of the major players – Samuel Hart and Andrew Dougherty. We also discussed how improved card manufacturing technology influenced the development of advanced card magic techniques and the fact that we’re currently living in a golden age of playing card production.

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

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 Ontario Weekend of Wonder Magic Festival (October 25-27, 2019). The event features several stage shows for the general public, strolling close-up magic in various local venues, and lectures for magicians. I was fortunate to find a quiet moment in Ryan’s schedule; we spoke at length about all these topics.

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 the effect. David has an extremely busy work schedule, so I'm pleased he took a little bit of his “down” time to talk about his new book, magic on television, and many other topics. I enjoyed our conversation. I think you will, too.

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. When Lisa and I lived in Las Vegas, Paul was one of our favorite people to hang out with. In addition to being a serious student of conjuring, Paul also brings to the table his interests in a wide variety of academic subjects, including philosophy, psychology, and anthropology. This makes him a fascinating interview subject.  I chatted with Paul via Skype. (August 2019)

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 Pam discussed what motivated their characters, their move to Los Angeles and their favorite houseguests, traveling with dogs, and a few other topics. This recording was done as a reference for preparing my article, not as a podcast, so there are some flaws in the audio quality. I hope you’ll ignore those glitches and will enjoy spending a few minutes with two of the best people in the world of magic. (March 2013)