Passing of the Possum (not Haggard-related)

[JHostler]

Greetings All –

Magnum Opossum: A Few Decades of Untamed Magic continues to bewilder and confound critics and readers alike. Steve Bryant’s and Kainoa Harbottles’ write-ups (from Little Egypt Magic and Genii, respectively) neatly encapsulate the breadth of opinion, reaction, and interpretation.

I take what some consider a perverse pleasure in this lack of consistency… an inability of the Group Mind to neatly pigeonhole the material or its internal logic. One school of thought deems this a sign of genius… another an indication of imminent failure… and on and on with the meta.

Some confusion certainly springs from the pithy 800-word introduction – a literary suicide mission commencing with “Real magicians don’t dance,” bashing the eternal MarVern debates and various aspects of magiCulture, asserting that I am not a magician, and expounding my philosophical aversion to encyclopedic crediting. Mind you, the tome is replete with credits… but this is beside the point.

Of course, the material itself is no cakewalk. Those looking for a tight package of Waters-and-Richardson-inspired mentalism, or Carpenteresque poker deals, or Paul Harris oddities will be sorely disappointed. Magnum Opossum is none of these. Instead, this paper-and-board jambalaya skips happily from one genre and subgenre to another. Why? Why not?

Unfortunately, the possum has proven a mighty albatross – delaying with great frustration the sabbatical it was intended to kick off. So the time has come to pull the proverbial ripcord: this 144-page hardcover will be yanked from market on August 21, just one month from today, and never printed again. EVER. Scarcity will be determined largely by 1) purchases made during this period and 2) the number of buyers who follow instructions buried in their thank-you emails. So if obscure collectables are your thing, the time is now. www.magnumopossum.com

Cheers,

Hostler

[JHostler]

To those who have purchased: Please read your thank-you emails closely! I'm receiving inquiries about a "special something" related to the book. Details can be found in that email. Sorry I can't follow up directly, but I don't know who you are(!) One of the purportedly necessary evils of on-demand publishing...

[JHostler]

The Magnum Opossum "by request only" 4x6 hand-numbered bookplates are in! Almost as beautiful as they are ugly - and so rare that they'll certainly fetch HUUUUUGE dollars in a few years.

Y'all know I'm planning to retire on this, so buy multiple copies of the book NOW. Hawaii real estate isn't cheap.

[JHostler]

Sneakier than a priest at a brothel…

Craftier than a crocheted coaster…

Scruffier than Seth Rogen on Saturday morning…

The superlatives are nearly inexhaustible – yet The Possum shall indeed pass in just over 48 hours. No, no… dry your tears… that means two full days to ensure permanent residence on your fireplace mantel (yes – just right of the crystal seahorse).

Put more plainly, Magnum Opossum (the book, not the marsupial) shall be officially out of print as of midnight, August 21, 2016 – as shall the free tidbit downloads (“The Ratchet Cut” and “A Melding of Mynds”). Translation: Grab the free stuff now… and the main course if you’re into the brand of magic we children of the 70’s-90’s teethed on.

And oh ye generous souls… those currently braving 144 pages of what major political figures have called the National Magic Book of Andorra… don’t forget to download the errata from http://www.magnumopossum.com and email me for your hand-numbered bookplate. This is, after all, a very, very limited edition – so stock up for eBay.

Signing off,

Pollo Delmar
Photographer and Contract Barista

Magnum Opossum
Financier and Literary Agent

John Hostler
Guilty as Charged