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 to start a thirty-city promotional tour. The focus of our conversation was on the new book, but the discussion ranged far and wide. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Conversations With Close

Josh Jay Interview S3 E9

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 podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Bob Farmer Interview S3 E8

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://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Sylvain Juzan Interview S3 E7

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 way that can be utilized and internalized. The last time Roberto and I had a “deep dive” discussion, we talked about his lecture on Dai Vernon. (That interview appeared in M-U-M.) This time we took an even deeper dive. I learned some things I never knew (like why the original version of Card College was spiral bound). We had a great time discussing subjects we both love, and I think you’ll enjoy listening to it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Roberto Giobbi Interview S3 E6

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://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Jamy Ian Swiss Interview S3 E5

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 his approach to magic performance has changed over the years. If you are a member at MichaelClose.com you can see the video of this interview on our website. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Dr. Michael Rubinstein S3 E4

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 the interview, Richard picked up a deck of cards to demonstrate something. He also showed a video clip of Larry Jennings discussing the double lift and the top change. For that reason, you may prefer to watch the video version of the interview. Michael Close members can watch the video here. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Richard Kaufman Interview S3 E3

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 thoughts on Zoom magic shows to his relationship with Paul Harris and his involvement in the Art of Astonishment books. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Eric Mead S3 E2

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, fully worked-out magic. (You can read a full review of the book on my website.) I spoke with Scott at the end of 2020. We talked about his career in magic, how he met and worked with Denny, and how this book came to be. Scott is a fount of knowledge on all things magical. I know you’re going to enjoy our conversation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Scott Alexander Interview - S3 E1

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

John Carney Interview S2 E5

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Andrew Golder & Lincoln Hiatt Interview S2E4

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Guilherme Silveira Interview - Season 2, Episode 3

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Doc Dixon Interview Season 2 - Episode 2

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Asher and McKinstry Interview - Season 2 - Episode 1

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 podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

Stephen Bargatze & Rick Merrill Interview - Episode 16

On these podcasts, you’ll hear me interview magicians from around the planet: the industry’s best performers, creators, and innovators. I try to ask questions designed to spark robust discussions, giving you information and insights you won’t find anywhere else. If you enjoy these podcasts, I hope you’ll stop by our website and check out the products we have available. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michaelclose/support

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Conversations With Close

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