Magic is dead : my journey into the world's most secretive society of magicians / Ian Frisch.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York, NY : Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow, [2019]Edition: First editionDescription: 319 pages ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780062839282
- 0062839284
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 793.8 F917 | Available | 33111009326857 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
In the vein of Neil Strauss' The Game and Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein comes the fascinating story of one man's colorful, mysterious, and personal journey into the world of magic, and his unlikely invitation into an underground secret society of revolutionary magicians from around the world.
Magic Is Dead is Ian Frisch's head-first dive into a hidden world full of extraordinary characters and highly guarded secrets. It is a story of imagination, deception, and art that spotlights today's most brilliant young magicians--a mysterious club known as the52, who are revolutionizing an ancient artform under the mantra Magic Is Dead.
Ian brings us with him as he not only gets to know this fascinating world, but also becomes an integral part of it. We meet the52's founding members--Laura London, Daniel Madison, and Chris Ramsay--and explore their personal demons, professional aspirations, and what drew them to their craft. We join them at private gatherings of the most extraordinary magicians working today, follow them to magic conventions in Las Vegas and England, and discover some of the best tricks of the trade. We also encounter David Blaine; hang out with Penn Jillette; meet Dynamo, the U.K.'s most famous magician; and go behind the scenes of a Netflix magic show. Magic Is Dead is also a chronicle of magic's rich history and how it has changed in the internet age, as the young guns embrace social media and move away from the old-school take on the craft.
As he tells the story of the52, and his role as its most unlikely member, Ian reveals his own connection with trickery and deceit and how he first learned the elements that make magic work from his poker-playing mother. He recalls their adventures in card rooms and casinos after his father's sudden death, and shares a touching moment that he had, as a working journalist, with his childhood idol Shaquille O'Neal.
"Magic--the romanticism of the inexplicable, the awe and admiration of the unexpected--is an underlying force in how we view the world and its myriad possibilities," Ian writes. As his journey continues, Ian not only becomes a performer and creator of magic--even fooling the late Anthony Bourdain during a chance encounter--he also cements a new brotherhood, and begins to understand his relationship with his father, fifteen years after his death. Written with psychological acuity and a keen eye for detail, Magic Is Dead is an engrossing tale full of wonder and surprise.
"Accomplished young journalist Ian Frisch, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Vice, Playboy and The New York Times, threads together a personal story of the sudden death of his father, his mother's escape to the poker tables, and how his fascination with the modern magicians and their swift resurgence in popular culture led him to discover The 52, magic's most brilliant young minds who are gathering in secret and revolutionizing the art form, under the mantle MAGIC IS DEAD. Full of fascinating characters, many of whom came to magic after tragic childhoods, drug addiction or lives of crime, and peppered throughout with cameos from marquee names like David Blaine and Penn Jillette, The 52 takes readers on a journey from the dark alleys of London and Blackpool, England to Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Ian's childhood in a camper going up and down the East Coast. Written with a keen eye for detail, The 52 is an engrossing tale that will keep you guessing until the very end, when Ian himself is invited to join"-- Provided by publisher.
Prologue: this is me now -- A way of life -- Blackpool problems -- Magic is dead -- Locked in -- A break from reality -- A vessel for something bigger -- Cheat -- Happy pilgrims -- An actor playing the part of a magician -- The rules of the game -- Cardsharps -- At the table -- The two of clubs -- Young bloods -- Just a simple plan -- Spies, snitches, skullduggery, and scheming -- By any means necessary -- Origins -- Not just a female magician -- Fooling Bourdain -- Behind the scenes -- Flipside -- Kill the architect.