In my "In Box"

I received this email from my old friend Chris Richardson. We go back at least 25 years. He used to play bass in high school in a rock band with my brother. We still talk. I was excited to hear the he and his wife Melanie are expecting a BABY!!!! Congrats guys!


Why are people fascinated with your blog? Perhaps because you document your life in such a naked and completely unvarnished manner. Given the unreal modern world we live in – endless hype and political spin, fake tits and botox, total artifice advertised as “reality television” (even reality shows have writers), a completely staged presidency, too many artists chasing the buck and too few willing to lay their hearts on the line – your candor and fearlessness is an increasingly rare commodity these days. Image is everything, and I suspect people are amazed you’re willing to show your warts. Seeing you go through difficult times also might make others feel better about their lives. Who else is doing what you’re doing? Also, don’t forget – most people are voyeurs.

By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you that you have a gift for bringing people together and not just through your backroom magic sessions. Your love for magic and knowledge of its history is inspiring – your enthusiasm is contagious. How to translate all this into a money-making enterprise – outside of performing – is beyond me. But as the old guard passes, somebody needs to pick up the baton, and you surely seem like a great candidate. I assume you still have your massive library of magic books and publications. Any way of digitizing some of these materials (at least the older ones for which the copyright has timed out) and creating a magic history web database? Fee-based, of course. Is there a market that would make such an enterprise worthwhile? Beats me. But a quick Google search suggests there is a void. I dig the fact that magicians belong to a ‘secret society,’ but in this age of Penn & Teller, some of the mystique has been blown. You help to restore the magic of magic. Perhaps all that information you’re sitting on could become active and put to use among those in your community. In some ways you’re more scholarly than you might realize. Maybe this is all far fetched, but in case it isn’t…