As I posted previously, John Carney was in town with his new lecture last week. The material was great, as was John…and as always, I leaned a lot from the experience. John has a new book out called, “Magic By Design”. I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s currently only available at his lectures, although it should be on his site soon. At 91 pages it may not be his longest, but it certainly one of his most provocative. Keep your eye out for it.

Last night I had the chance to see Paul Gertner’s latest lecture. If he comes your way, don’t miss it. I remember Gene Anderson talking about the idea that we should “sandpaper” our ideas until we can’t sand any more. The idea being that we need to reveal every last bit of beauty a routine has to offer. Paul is one magician who can put his sandpaper away! Everything he does is polished to perfection.

He started with a handful of his signature routines, including his Steel Cups & Balls and repeat Classic Card Force. If you’re not familiar with his work on the Classic Force, you need to pick up his booklet on the topic. We only have a few left and he announced last night that it is no longer in print. He has touches and ideas that are the result of a lifetime of real world work.

His new lecture is called, “Original Instructions Not Included” and it focuses on breathing new life into props you may have collecting dust. I was amazed out how much more reaction he pulled from things like Masuda’s Wow, the Disappearing Cards & Case, and even 3 ½ of Clubs Card! He also presented the most compelling routine for the Pom Pom Pole you will ever witness. I’m not kidding…it made me want to pull one off the shelf! He also demonstrated two of his more recent releases Bite Me and Heartbreaker. I’ve sang the praises of these routines in the past but it’s always great to be reminded of their strength by the man himself.

All in all, a great night. But then again, I’ve seldom been to lecture by a pro when I didn’t walk out at least a little more inspired than when I walked in. I’ve said it before and I know I’ll say it again. For the few bucks it costs to attend a lecture by people of this caliber the room should ALWAYS be mobbed. Don’t pass up these opportunities.

If you live in our neck of the woods, you may have noticed that we have Jeff Hobson and Michael Ammar coming in to lecture next month. In fact, they will both be here the very same week! You can get all the info on our site by clicking here and don’t forget to get on our local lecture email list. You can get those details here.