This weekend I was introduced to Eugene Burger's Experience of Magic. More a philosophical discussion about the performance of close-up magic than an instruction book, this is a new favorite.
I had never visited Misdirections, San Francisco's only magic shop, but a random brunch brought me close by. I asked for a book that'd help me with the specific style of magic I like to perform, close-up card magic. I explained that I really enjoy long and involved stories, as well as leaving folks with something more than "Jason knows sleights of hand." He suggested Eugene Burger's Experience of Magic.
Burger's book, admittedly, draws heavily on the entertaining style and lack of bias shown to us by my favorite westerner-turned-eastern-philosopher, Alan Watts. I think the first routine Berger shares is 4-5 chapters in, but the discussion that comes before the routines is what has so enthralled me. Berger loves close-up magic for its ability to create real, personal connections between the magician and the audience. Berger shares a lot of thought around what makes the experience of magic special and how to best share it with people.
Asking and attempting to demonstrate how the experience of magic differs from the experience of being misled, of being fooled, of being amazed, of wonder, Berger shares decades of experience turning simple effects into wonderfully involved experiences for the audience.
While not every chapter was prose and not every routine perfect for me, I am getting a lot out of this book. It will help improve my delivery, focus me on the elements of magic I enjoy and teach me a few new tricks.
