"There was a whole line of women in my dating life who refused to date me because I was a magician."
Laura Yan of Hopes and Fears interviewed an anonymous magician/sideshow performer about life on and off stage. The interview is wonderfully illustrated by Arina Shabonova.
I decided I wasn't going to tell them what I did until the first coffee date. I met one woman face to face, and then it eventually came around to what do you do. I told her, and she was like… "Ohhhh. Nope. I don't mess with magicians." I asked her why, and she said, "I don't want to be lied to."
I was like: you realize that I don't actually lie? It's like when you watch a theatrical production of Hamlet, you're not standing up protesting: "That man isn't actually Hamlet!" It's theater. It's a suspension of disbelief. It's entertainment.
