Strong Magic - by Darwin Ortiz
(from Crimp Magazine No. 28)
This book, too, is an event - in many ways a "first" and is one of the most enjoyable books on close up that I've ever read.
The book is sub-headed "Creative Showmanship for the Close-Up Magician" and sets out to give the reader all the technical nuts and bolts on how to improve your skills as a close-up magician with regard to performing for the lay public.
There is NO vague rhetoric or fucking about … what you are given is solid technical advice on everything from selecting the right material to selling yourself.
I would say that, like "The Annotated Erdnase" this book is a real achievement …compelling, essential and extremely readable, more important, you WILL improve your magic by studying the book.
One final point - there will always be magicians who will disagree with some of Darwin's advice, but (for me, anyway) the majority of his ideas are extremely sound, in any event, it will get you thinking about your magic. In one chapter, I disagreed with his comment on my "Name a Card Triumph" trick, and think he should have ried it out before disparaging it (hence my little "dig" about his "the dream card" in crimp 26)
But what the fuck … I couldn't put it down. Very Highly Recommended.
