Conversations With Close

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 Pam discussed what

motivated their characters, their move to Los Angeles and their favorite houseguests, traveling with dogs, and a few other topics.

This recording was done as a reference for preparing my article, not as a podcast, so there are some flaws in the audio quality. I hope you’ll ignore those glitches and will enjoy spending a few minutes with two of the best people in the world of magic. (March 2013)

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 production offices a few minutes later. I asked if he needed a lift to his next appointment. He did, and we spent the remainder of the day together, including a great dinner at St. Elmo’s steak house with Harry Riser.

Over his seventy-year career, Harry has been one of the major contributors to the literature of magic; his output is astounding. At age ninety-three, he says he’s starting to slow down, but the energy and enthusiasm displayed in his voice belies that. We spent an enjoyable forty-five minutes discussing a wide range of topics. (March 2019)

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 Christmas and New Year’s Eve in 2018. We talked about magic, work, life, the universe, and everything. (January 2018)

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 producer of the well-known Head Shrinker illusion. I spoke to Bruce via Skype. July 2019

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.

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.

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 with Andi Gladwin & Joshua Jay at the wonderful Magic Weekend in Lund, Sweden. (Oct 2018)

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)

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.

Anthony Owen was a magician, mentalist, and producer. Michael caught up with Anthony at the Sesson in London, England. (January 2018)