Michael Breggar: Know Brainer

Ahead of their Broadway run at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, the four Horsemen of Now You See Me Live share how they found magic, from a father’s lucky guess to a shoebox card trick. Darcy Oake, Matthew Pomeroy, Gabriella Lester, and James More talk about their breakthroughs, what it’s like to perform in an ensemble show, the moments they look forward to each night, and the magic books that shaped them, including a rare Houdini title first spotted on a shelf in The Magic Circle’s library.

Frank Zazanis performs and writes as Franklin Williams, one of three personas he has built, each with a book of its own on the way. His first book, “Authentic Fabrications,” pairs 17 pieces of magical theater with 14 essays and carries a foreword by Jeff McBride. In this episode of The Magic Book Podcast, Frank explains why he scripts the closing line first, describes the third kind of audience he calls the seeking audience, and recalls how a thread routine pulled from his glove box for a Zoom show led to membership of The Magic Circle.

Michael Breggar has spent nearly twelve years writing the "Auto-Magic" column in The Linking Ring. His book, "Know Brainer," published by H&R Magic Books, collects more than 35 routines of comedy mentalism. Mike recalls the sitcom Martian who sparked his interest in mind reading, explains how Groucho Marx inspired his comedy Q&A act, and makes the case for building every routine in three acts. He also shares how he is reviving The Phoenix, the classic magic magazine, inside VANISH.

Harry Houdini was one of the greatest collectors of his era. Every corner of his Harlem townhouse held books, playbills, prints, and ephemera. Within months of his death in 1926, the collection was split, sold, and scattered. Dr. Eric Colleary, Cline Curator of Theatre and Performing Arts at the Harry Ransom Center, spent a decade piecing the story back together. He discusses his new book, the librarian Houdini kept in his attic, a bargain bought in wartime, and how Texas ended up with the rest.

For more than six decades, Woodstock's resident magician Alan Eisenson, known professionally as Just Alan, has made magic from his own life. In this episode, we discuss "Just Alan - Not Just Magic," a limited edition book about Alan, written and illustrated by Jay Fortune. Alan explains what it means to transcend technique, describes how he decides where a true story ends and invention begins, recounts the making of The Sands of India, and reflects on a one-man show that never reached the stage.

Chicago-based mentalist Christopher Carter discusses "In the Spotlight," named Penguin Magic's Book of the Year, which collects 28 routines and essays from a 35-year career across college campuses, corporate stages, and cruise ship theaters. Christopher explains why the Q&A act is so effective in mentalism, describes the Mental Interview at the heart of his approach, and explores the handling of stage danger in Staple Gun Roulette, choosing a risk that is real without being mortal.

Massachusetts magician and historian Scott Martell discusses "Mr. Fingers: The Magic of Irv Weiner," his 338-page biography of the performing legend of the college circuit, 25 years in the making. Scott traces Irv's journey from a Boston boyhood as the son of deaf parents to the Chavez Studio of Magic and the invention of the Red Tape Thumb Tie. He also reveals the losses that made the project feel cursed, and the unwritten book on love that survives only on a single 2 AM voice recording.

Las Vegas magician Jason Bird discusses "Strolling for Dollars," his 580-page field guide to making a living doing walkaround magic, with a foreword by Jeff McBride. From a childhood library book to the Vegas Strip, Jason traces his path through Caesar's Magical Empire, the influence of Eugene Burger, and why he chose print over a video course. He talks candidly about pricing, the twelve working magicians he interviewed, and the philosophy at the book's heart: good magic leads to more magic.

Charles Greene III returns to The Magic Book Podcast to discuss his new book, "Exposing Houdini: 52 Lost Glass Plate Images." The book features a previously unknown cache of Houdini negatives Charles traced from an abandoned safe deposit box in Ohio to the mentalist Joseph Dunninger. Hear stories about the first photographs ever taken of the Milk Can Escape, why a single tugboat moved one image from Australia to Philadelphia, the rest moment hidden inside the Water Torture Cell, and the one photograph no expert has been able to identify.

Anthony Heads, Sweden's leading paranormal illusionist and mentalist, traces his unconventional path from telling childhood ghost stories in the UK to founding the Stockholm Ghost Walk and building a singular career in paranormal performance. Discover why he resists the label of magician, how a 1600s cellar restaurant launched his 'real experiences,' what 'the bubble' really means, and how his books, "Practical Paranormal Performance" and "Live Storytelling for Magicians," codify his craft.