Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians
A journalist recounts his life-changing journey through the secret world of underground magic in this “funny, illuminating, and personal” memoir (Brooklyn Rail)

When struggling journalist Ian Frisch came across magician Chris Ramsey on Instagram, he knew he had the makings of a good story. But what began as a simple profile piece led Ian to the52—a secret society of magicians determined to revolutionize their ancient artform under the mantra Magic Is Dead.

As Ian gains entry to the52, he forms close bonds with its founding members—Laura London, Daniel Madison, and Chris Ramsay. He attends private gatherings of the most extraordinary magicians working today, follows them to magic conventions in Las Vegas and England, and discovers some of the best tricks of the trade. He also goes behind the scenes of a Netflix magic show and encounters David Blaine, Penn Jillette, and Dynamo, the U.K.’s most famous magician.

As Ian tells the story of the52, and his role as its most unlikely member, he reveals his own connection with trickery and deceit, sharing how he first learned the elements of magic from his poker-playing mother. Rich with the history of magic and populated with a cast of fascinating characters, Magic Is Dead is a page-turning work of immersive journalism coupled with a young man searching for himself.
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Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians
A journalist recounts his life-changing journey through the secret world of underground magic in this “funny, illuminating, and personal” memoir (Brooklyn Rail)

When struggling journalist Ian Frisch came across magician Chris Ramsey on Instagram, he knew he had the makings of a good story. But what began as a simple profile piece led Ian to the52—a secret society of magicians determined to revolutionize their ancient artform under the mantra Magic Is Dead.

As Ian gains entry to the52, he forms close bonds with its founding members—Laura London, Daniel Madison, and Chris Ramsay. He attends private gatherings of the most extraordinary magicians working today, follows them to magic conventions in Las Vegas and England, and discovers some of the best tricks of the trade. He also goes behind the scenes of a Netflix magic show and encounters David Blaine, Penn Jillette, and Dynamo, the U.K.’s most famous magician.

As Ian tells the story of the52, and his role as its most unlikely member, he reveals his own connection with trickery and deceit, sharing how he first learned the elements of magic from his poker-playing mother. Rich with the history of magic and populated with a cast of fascinating characters, Magic Is Dead is a page-turning work of immersive journalism coupled with a young man searching for himself.
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Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians

Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians

by Ian Frisch
Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians

Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians

by Ian Frisch

eBook

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Overview

A journalist recounts his life-changing journey through the secret world of underground magic in this “funny, illuminating, and personal” memoir (Brooklyn Rail)

When struggling journalist Ian Frisch came across magician Chris Ramsey on Instagram, he knew he had the makings of a good story. But what began as a simple profile piece led Ian to the52—a secret society of magicians determined to revolutionize their ancient artform under the mantra Magic Is Dead.

As Ian gains entry to the52, he forms close bonds with its founding members—Laura London, Daniel Madison, and Chris Ramsay. He attends private gatherings of the most extraordinary magicians working today, follows them to magic conventions in Las Vegas and England, and discovers some of the best tricks of the trade. He also goes behind the scenes of a Netflix magic show and encounters David Blaine, Penn Jillette, and Dynamo, the U.K.’s most famous magician.

As Ian tells the story of the52, and his role as its most unlikely member, he reveals his own connection with trickery and deceit, sharing how he first learned the elements of magic from his poker-playing mother. Rich with the history of magic and populated with a cast of fascinating characters, Magic Is Dead is a page-turning work of immersive journalism coupled with a young man searching for himself.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780062839305
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 03/19/2024
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 317
Sales rank: 674,868
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Ian Frisch has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Playboy, Wired, and Vice. He has appeared on Bloomberg Television and speaks regularly at universities both about writing and entrepreneurship, and was a finalist for the 2016 Associated Press Sports Editors Explanatory Award. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Prologue: This Is Me Now 1

Part I Welcome To The Underground

1 A Way of Life 7

2 Blackpool Problems 17

3 Magic Is Dead 33

4 Locked In 41

5 A Break from Reality 51

6 A Vessel for Something Bigger 63

7 Cheat 71

8 Happy Pilgrims 83

9 An Actor Playing the Part of a Magician 91

10 The Rules of the Game 107

11 Cardsharps 117

12 At the Table 137

13 The Two of Clubs 143

Part II Every Once In A While, The Lion Has To Show The Jackal Who He Is

14 Young Bloods 159

15 Just a Simple Plan 173

16 Spies, Snitches, Skullduggery, and Scheming 187

17 By Any Means Necessary 203

18 Origins 213

19 Not Just a Female Magician 229

20 Fooling Bourdain 247

21 Behind the Scenes 263

22 Flipside 283

23 Kill the Architect 299

Acknowledgments 317

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