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....
Dec 08, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 ...
Nov 10, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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 i...
Oct 05, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 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 ...
Sep 15, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 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 busine...
Jan 29, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 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...
Nov 07, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Ryan Joyce is a busy performer, and he has been ever since he graduated from high school. For ten years, he performed a touring illusion show that crisscrossed Canada. He then entered the cruise-ship market, performing illusions, a smaller stand-up show, and a hypnosis act. Ryan also has an avid interest in technology and filmmaking, both of which are showcased in his online Magician’s Masterclass series (www.magic-masterclass.com). Ryan is currently in the middle of preparations for the Ontario...
Oct 07, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 15
My guest this month is one of my favourite performers and creators, David Regal. Although our paths have crossed at the occasional magic convention over the years, we’ve never really had the opportunity to spend time chatting about magic. I regret that, because David is an “evangelist” for quality magic – magic with an elegant method, and an interesting and evocative “hook.” In other words (and as the title of his new book implies), magic that showcases a performer’s unique interpretation of the...
Aug 31, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This Conversations with Close podcast features an interview with Paul Vigil, who, in the past few years, has established himself as one of the top-flight performers and creators in the world of magic. Paul’s skills were well known to the magicians of Las Vegas, but it is only recently, with the publication of his books Classic Fantastic and Doors of Deception and his performances and lectures, that magicians around the world have come to recognize and appreciate his contribution to magic. When L...
Aug 02, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In March 2013, I ran a cover story on Pam Thompson in M-U-M. While there had been many stories about Johnny Thompson in magic magazines, there had not been one on Pam, who was an integral part of the Tomsoni & Company act. In preparation for that article, I recorded several phone conversations with Pam. There were a few things she could not recall, so I scheduled another phone call that would include Johnny, who had amazing recall of dates, people, and events. We talked about how Johnny and ...
Jul 09, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 12
I met Harry Lorayne in the spring/summer of 1975. At the time, I was going to music school at Butler University. I lived not far from campus and was home for lunch. As I watched the noon news, I heard the following announcement: “After this commercial break, we’ll be back with memory expert, Harry Lorayne.” I never saw the interview, because I immediately hopped in my car and headed downtown to the TV studio. (Fortunately, it wasn’t that far away.) I sat in the lobby; Harry came in from the prod...
Jul 09, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Matt is one of the busiest professional comedy magicians around; he works corporate events, cruise ships, and comedy clubs. He is also in demand as a writer for television. You may ave seen Matt on the fourth season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His experience on the show led him to an important insight, one I had not previously considered when I analyzed acts. I have shared that insight with some of the performers who have been booked for the show. I sat down with Matt Matt stopped by between ...
Jul 09, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 10
I had a chance to chat with my old friend, Bruce Kalver. He was the president of The Society of American Magicians when I was hired to be the editor of M-U-M . He authored several feature stories for me and also wrote one of the most popular columns in the magazine, Tech Tricks (which continues to this day). Bruce’s story is a fascinating one. He was born into a show-biz family, has performed professionally since age ten, hosted a popular radio show in Rhode Island, and is the creator and produc...
Jul 07, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Jeff Pinsky is the owner and operator of The Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. I sat down with Jeff at the Den in June 2019.
Jul 04, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Jeff Altman is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and magician who has appeared as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman a combined 45 times. Altman mesmerized contemporaries like David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld, and inspired future comedians like Judd Apatow. I had a wonderful conversation with Jeff in January 2019.
Jul 04, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Andi Gladwin is a British magician, speaker, and publisher. He has appeared on television numerous times, has lectured for magicians throughout the UK, US and Europe and written / published books on magic. Joshua Jay is a magician, author, and lecturer. He has performed in over 100 countries, and he was awarded the top prize at the World Magic Seminar in 1998. He fooled Penn and Teller on their hit show, Fool Us, and he holds a Guinness World Record for card tricks. I had the chance to sit down ...
Jul 04, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Mac King is an American magician who has performed on television specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show", at the Harrah's Las Vegas in the Clint Holmes Theater. Here is the chat via Skype. (Sept 2018)
Jul 04, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 5
R. Paul Wilson is a close-up magician, filmmaker, and author. Michael sat down with R. Paul Wilson at the Ring 129 Workshop Convention in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Jul 04, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Anthony Owen was a magician, mentalist, and producer. Michael caught up with Anthony at the Sesson in London, England. (January 2018)
Jul 04, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Pit Hartling is one of Germany's most requested entertainers and Michael got a chance to sit down with him for a conversation in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the shooting of Penn & Teller's: FOOL US show. (March 2018)
Jul 04, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Tim Trono is a magician, magic producer and creator. Michael caught up with Tim at the Session in London, England (January 2018).
Jul 04, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1
