Here is a repost of the two part interview with David Ben which was originally published in October of 2009.  It has been remastered to remove the ads and consolidate both parts into one continuous interview. David talks about Marlo, Vernon and many other notable figures from the history of magic. From the original post: The public, the press and his peers have recognized David as one of the world’s foremost sleight-of-hand artists.  In Dai Vernon: A Biography (2006), David penned the first half (part two being in production) of the definitive portrait of Dai Vernon, the most influential magician of the twentieth century. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Magicana, a performing arts organization and registered charity which serves to educate and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the art of magic. David joins me on the podcast to talk about his love of magic and his contribution to Genii's 75th Anniversary salute to the Jinx.

Direct download: MNW157-DavidBen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:14pm EDT

On this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast we have a chat with Australia's honest conman and one of the hosts of the latest incarnation of The Real Hustle, Nicholas Johnson. The concept for the Real Hustle as a television program originated in the UK and has gone through several incarnations in various countries. Nicholas is a con artist, magician, speaker & comedian who uses sleight of hand, card cheating, pickpocketing & psychology to recreate the world of the professional con man.

Direct download: MNW182-NicholasJohnson-01-23-2010.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:18am EDT

As we approach the 100th anniversary celebration of the mansion that serves as the permanent resident for the Academy of Magical Arts, we continue to explore the rich history of the Magic Castle. My guest on this episode of the podcast is George Seigel. George is the architectural historian for the Castle and the man that knows the complete history of the mansion. How many people have died in the Castle? Are there any reports of paranormal activity? Is there a connection between the family that lived there when it was a private residence and Harry Houdini? An insane asylum!? All this and more will be revealed on the Spirit of Magic Podcast!

Direct download: MNW166-GeorgeSeigel-11-03-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:53am EDT

The public, the press and his peers have recognized David as one of the world’s foremost sleight-of-hand artists.  In Dai Vernon: A Biography (2006), David penned the first half (part two being in production) of the definitive portrait of Dai Vernon, the most influential magician of the twentieth century. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Magicana, a performing arts organization and registered charity which serves to educate and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the art of magic. David joins me on the podcast to talk about his love of magic and his contribution to Genii's 75th Anniversary sauluteto the Jinx.

Direct download: MNW157-DavidBen2-10-06-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:31am EDT

By now, everyone will be aware of the tragedy that has hit the country of Haiti after a major eathquake rocked the region. The magic community is representing us well in the face of the disaster through the efforts of James L Clark, Daniel Ramirez & David Blaine. Yesterday, David Blaine announced that he would be doing magic in Times Square for the next 72 hours to heighten public awareness of the need in Haiti and the efforts of the Red Cross in the region

Direct download: MNW181a-DavidBlaine-01-15-2010.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:27am EDT

Bob Wallace, retired CIA Director of the Department of Technical Services is one of the co-authors of the new book,The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception. In 1953, against the backdrop of the Cold War, the CIA initiated a top-secret program, code-named MKULTRA, to counter Soviet mind-control and interrogation techniques. Realizing that clandestine officers might need to covertly deploy newly developed pills, potions, and powders against the adversary, the CIA hired America's most famous magician, John Mulholland, to write two manuals on sleight of hand and undercover communication techniques. In 1973, virtually all documents related to MKULTRA were destroyed. Mulholland's manuals were thought to be among themuntil a single surviving copy of each, complete with illustrations, was recently discovered in the agency's archives. The manuals reprinted in this work represent the only known complete copy of Mulholland's instructions for CIA officers on the magician's art of deception and secret communication. Bob joins me on the podcast to talk about the book that Lance Burton describes as, "A legendary lost piece of magic history. It's James Bond meets Harry Houdini!"

Direct download: MNW168-RobertWallace-11-07-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:59am EDT

Just before heading off to the 2009 MindVention in Las Vegas Alain Nu joins me on the Spirit of Magic podcast. Alain is “the man who knows, ” a mentalist and mystery performer who explores the hidden potential of our minds. Join Alain and me as we discuss modern mentalism and the ways in which he entertains even the most skeptical audiences with the awesome powers of the mind. Alain will be presenting a special metal bending seminar on Saturday and lecturing during the main convention.

Direct download: MNW167-AlainNu-11-06-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:47am EDT

My guest for this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast is the comedy magician Levent. As a fan of Mac computers, I have to include the fact that he is one of only a handful of entertainers to be invited to Apple Computer Company headquarters in Cupertino where he performed for the Apple staff.  Levent is a noted magic lecturer as well as a vaudeville historian.  He was a regular contributor to the “Vaudeville Times“ Magazine, and has penned articles for various other publications, including “MAGIC” magazine.   Most recently, you can see Levant on several episodes of the television series, Masters of Illusion

Direct download: MNW104-Levent-04-09-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:37am EDT

Shawn Farquhar returns to the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast to share his FISM experience with our listeners. As you will know, Shawn was awarded First Place in Cards and went on to with the Grand Prix in close-up at the event in Beijing.  We talk about both the good and the bad of this year's FISM. Shawn also discusses the controversy that his victory stirred up within magic circles and about how this impacted him on a personal level. He also shares the story of how his "Shape of My Heart" routine was created.

Direct download: MNW138-ShawnFarquhar-08-24-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am EDT

Jeff Hobson is one of the most in-demand comedy magicians working today. His refreshing and clever mix of comedy and magic has brought him back for repeat performances all over the world. Hobson has won numerous awards for his skills. Among the most recent is his Best Comedy Magic award given by the International Magic Awards Association as well as an award of Best Magic Review by the World Magic Awards for his role as star and producer of the critically acclaimed Carnival of Wonders with Kalin & Jinger.

Direct download: MNW119-JeffHobson-07-05-2009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:11am EDT