Either you love him or you hate. That seems like the consensus of the magicians that I speak with. He is a person that gets strong reactions. He is not afraid to have an opinion. (That, by the way, is a very good thing.)Yet, even when I disagree, I respect his choices. They are generally backed by actual thought, unlike much of what I see written on message boards, magazines, and blogs. Not only that, but he is a pretty good and interesting writer.
Here is a link to an excellent essay of his on the search for street magic, appearing in Antinomy. Read it.
http://antinomymagic.com/swiss.htm
About Me
- ChgoMagic
- A magician since birth, magic salesman, historian, writer, just looking to share a little of the odd corner of the world in which I live. Remember, all contents are copywritten, so don't use anything without permission.
3 comments:
By the way, I have to thank my friend Andrew Wilson for bringing this essay to my attention.
-Bill
Dear Bill,
I love you, baby! Save the date: Sunday, September 30, 2007. After a six year engagement, ( yes, six fucking years!) Heidi & I are going from common law to whatever the IRS will call us. It's going to be a very casual affair on the beach in Charleston, followed by a classic Charleson oyster roast and barbeque, with lots to drink and a great dance band!! And guess who's performing the ceremony? None other than the ever-controversial Reverend Jamy Ian Swiss!!! His motto: No God, Prompt Service! Eugene's invited too. If you've never partied with either of those guys, look out. Tell Tim too!
Regarding Jamy's article about "street magic", I am in complete agreement. As I told Jamy, I give Blaine props for shaking things up, changing the way magic is perceived by the public, and turning a whole new generation on to doing magic. However, I believe there's an obvious reason why, a decade after the first tv show, there are still no tickets available for the smash off-broadway hit, "An Evening with David Blaine".
Shake off the winter my friend. You're one of my favorite magicians, right up there with Swiss. Just don't tell him I said that; he'd probably argue with me about why he should be lower on my list! Ha ha ha ha!
-Andrew Wilson
Andrew,
Always great to hear from you. Frankly, we..okay..I miss you greatly. I'll save the date and make sure we talk well before then to make arrangments.
Bill
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