A Little Promotion

[Dustin Stinett]

Since I was in elementary school I wanted to be a writer. I even wrote my own “newspaper”—one copy—by hand that I passed around my schoolmates. I was the editor, news reporter, sports reporter, and it included cartoons. I took polls and reported the results. Most of the time they were silly questions like, “Who is on the Kennedy Half Dollar?”—the answers were wonderfully varied.

When I got into magic and discovered Genii: The Conjurors’ Magazine, I wanted to write for Bill Larsen, Jr. more than anything. I did start writing about magic with a little magazine called Top Hat, the organ of Magical Youths International. It is how I met Todd Karr and Adam Fleischer and several others who remain friends to this day. I started writing for Adam in his Magic Manuscript magazine. It was pretty awful stuff, but I was learning my craft.

Years later, with the advent of the Internet and, more importantly, when the Genii Forums launched, Richard Kaufman noticed my work. It was a post I made covering the Seventh Los Angeles Conference on Magic History (my first). He printed it in Genii and things took off from there.

Since then I have written nineteen cover features and more “interior” articles than I can count. Plus there is my review column as well as the work I do on John Gaughan’s. I also wrote my own little book on Milo and Roger and have edited a number of books as well (which answers the question, “What has he ever written?”).

Even with all of that under my belt, I am still studying and learning my craft—I always will be. But for the first time in my professional life I have had a dream come true and then some for I am now the Associate Editor of Genii: The Conjurors’ Magazine. I couldn’t be happier or prouder.

There are many people over the years that have helped—and continue to help—me. Without that support I don’t get here and I cannot thank them enough (and you know who you are). But above all, it is Richard Kaufman who has guided me through this journey. Thank you, Richard, for this tremendous opportunity and making a dream come true.

Dustin

[Bill Mullins]

I suppose this is what started it all.

Congratulations, Dustin. Writing for a magazine you like is a mixed blessing -- you still have to pay for an whole issue, even though you already have seen part of it.

Now that you're an editor, at least you'll know who to go to to get an extension on a deadline.

[Andrew Pinard]

Congratulations, Dustin! I hope this also merited a bump in your pay... ;O)

[Joe Mckay]

Well done, Dustin! Those who have seen your writings over the years will not be surprised by your step up in the world. It is a promotion which is much deserved.

I just hope it doesn't keep you from that book you are writing - cough, cough...

[erdnasephile]

Well deserved, Dustin! Congrats!

[Steve Bryant]

Kudos on a really fine job at a mostly thankless task. Families are apt to say, "Uh, remember us?" Old lay friends tend to be equally unimpressed with writing accomplishments, and say, "Ah, but can you do a card trick?"

Anyway, WE thank you.

[Richard Kaufman]

Dustin did an exceptionally fine job with the first three cover stories this year: the more he writes, the better he gets. He is now writing Lubor Fiedler's book for me, as well as working on additional stories for Genii. It was my pleasure to name him to the position of Associate Editor, and he did indeed get a small bump in pay, I wish it was more. Hopefully it will be soon ... because big things are coming up at Genii

[Doug Thornton]

Congratulations, Dustin ! All best wishes for your future essays.

[Tom Gilbert]

Congrats Dustin, good going.

[Kent Gunn]

Congrats!

I always enjoy your writing.

KG

[Chris Aguilar]

Good for you Dustin.

It sounds like your taking some of the load off the head Genii will lead to more quality magic books being published (i.e. the aforementioned Lubor Fiedler book.)

[Tom Frame]

Congratulations Dustin! You give good word!