No Secrets Released

It's still magic even if
you know how it's done.
—Terry Patchett

As soon as I read the Wall Street Journal article about the Conjuring Arts Research Center I set out to explore their website. I found out that I could become a member even though my feats of prestidigitation are meager and I own nary a book of magic. The membership price did seem rather steep for someone who simply loves libraries.

I could browse their library catalogue and purchase books and some magic cards. A book titled Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret fascinated me. What could that be? How did it happen? When I clicked on for more information it appears that Aunt Mary "had a murky past" which I believe involved some card tricks. The book reveals her trick "in three powerful moves". According to the write-up the maneuvers are within reach of "any performer"—perhaps not within my reach.

Books, posters, and some specialty decks of cards are available to anyone—save for a little more money than the discounted member's rate.

There seemed to be a bit of a fuss over the Erdnase finish on a deck of cards. S.W. Erdnase wrote The Expert at the Card Table . Benjamin Earl, who writes a blog about magic/gambling, wrote that "there are a few passages...that should be permanently engrained on the minds of magicians around the world" Earl references the "economy of moves" and "deportment"—which includes a suppression of emotion. He goes on to say that it is "brilliantly written" and "shrouded in mystery"—and "self-contradictory."

For a mere $5.95 I can purchase a deck of cards—no instructions included!

I did have a foray into magic, but my sleight of hand revealed everything. I borrowed several books from the library on card tricks and coin tricks, but never could attain any proficiency.

Years ago magic stores, like independent book stores, found a place in the city—but today many of those brick-and-mortar shops no longer occupy a real space. Only two magic shops remain in New York City. That's where you can go to look over tricks, displays, memorabilia. Where do you learn magic today? Books, the web?

Of course books, not necessarily magic books, fill us with magic. They release their stories and we enter another realm on a magic carpet.

Now I wonder how they do levitation?