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Words from Teller to Brian Brushwood

Orphia Nay

Penguilicious Spodmaster
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Orphia Nay
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May 2, 2005
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Lately a lot of young magicians have been asking me for advice, which has caused me to remember one of the most valuable correspondences of my life: one of the most mind-blowing letters I ever received, chock-full of insights that to this very day guide my career and philosophy in both creating and performing magic.
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http://shwood.squarespace.com/news/...y-teller-gave-me-the-secret-to-my-career.html

I admit I've never heard of Brian Brushwood, but I want to thank him for sharing this correspondence. I hope magicians here enjoy it. I did, but then, I'm not a magician.
 
Very nice. One of the Good Guys of the World.

I wonder what Brian's mother looked like? ;)
 
The "secret" that Teller divulged is such incredible crap that I can't believe a grown man wrote it.
Not really. Surprise!

If you ever want to see a magician who is gleeful, I mean REALLY so tickled that he's close to peeing his pants, watch a magician explain a trick in which all of the sleights are finished early, all of the moves are over, every possibility for a mess-up is behind him, and every last bit of funny business is done ... but the ending has not been revealed to the audience. The trickery has been successful (but the audience doesn't know it) and the psychology is in place so that the ending will be a huge surprise.

And the magician explaining the situation can hardly contain his delight. He knows the audience is expecting some fancy up-your sleeve stuff, and will be watching him like hawks. But that's okay, because the dirty work has already been done. He knows the audience will be satisfied that they can't be fooled, while he knows that they already have been fooled, and just don't know it yet.
 
Brown said:
The "secret" that Teller divulged is such incredible crap that I can't believe a grown man wrote it.
Not really. Surprise!

If you ever want to see a magician who is gleeful, I mean REALLY so tickled that he's close to peeing his pants, watch a magician explain a trick in which all of the sleights are finished early, all of the moves are over, every possibility for a mess-up is behind him, and every last bit of funny business is done ... but the ending has not been revealed to the audience. The trickery has been successful (but the audience doesn't know it) and the psychology is in place so that the ending will be a huge surprise.

And the magician explaining the situation can hardly contain his delight. He knows the audience is expecting some fancy up-your sleeve stuff, and will be watching him like hawks. But that's okay, because the dirty work has already been done. He knows the audience will be satisfied that they can't be fooled, while he knows that they already have been fooled, and just don't know it yet.
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Brown, you naughty old cynic you. :p

Let some light into your heart.
Here have a pony. :mpony
 
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