Larry Jennings New Book?

[Richard Kaufman]

Genii, marriage, having a child, all got in the way. Mr. Jennings Takes It Easy is now written. 260,000 words--about 450 pages without the photos. About 600 pages with the photos.

Am now editing and am halfway through chapter 3. When I'm done editing, will send it out for proofreading.

It's become very difficult to actually concentrate long enough on any single project to bring it to completion!

[Terry]

Kids are more important.

It sounds like the postal workers will need a truss to deliver it!

Thanks for updating everyone.

[Yves Tourigny]

Richard,

Will there be any of Jennings' coin Magic in one of the upcoming books? There was a trick I heard from a Busby newsletter, I think it was the "Iron Bottom Boat" or something like that, I can never remember the name, which was touted as one of the best coins across trick. Bill Goodwin knows the one and said it was never published, so I was wondering.

Yves

[Richard Kaufman]

I have unpublished Jennings coin material, "The Iron Boat," among other items. This will all be in the third book in the trilogy, Mr.Jennings Takes It Tough.

[Yves Tourigny]

Thanks for the info Richard.

[Magic Newswire]

Richard chats a bit about this in our interview with him and I am more interested now than before!

[PapaG]

Richard, I know that this may qualify as probably the most anal/obsessive question on the forum but I was wondering about the process involved in putting a book together of a posthumous artist's work. More specifically, as particular sleights are suited to particular hands (skin type, size etc) and most sleights must be adapted to one's own hands, I'm intrigued as to how you go about illustrating/photographing the details of a move when the original artist is no longer around and you are working from memory and audio tapes alone. I'm assuming that, as the photographs will be of your hands, you must necessarily first learn every move and in so doing, adapt it to your own hand size. In this respect, how accurate is the illustration going to be of the original move?

The reason that I ask is that, having very large hands (which is usually a boon), I often find that certain moves need to be adapted if they have been designed by smaller hands. As an example, when the pack is comfortably in mechanics grip, my finger tips extend a lot further over the right side over the deck making some moves more difficult. Obviously they have to be adjusted.

From what I've gathered, Larry Jennings had fairly large mitts and so I was expecting an 'easy fit' in learning from the book. But given what I assume to be the process of illustrating the book outlined above, is this the case? Surely the photos/illustrations must necessarily be 'Jennings via Kaufman'; Jennings' moves adapted to Kaufman's hands.

Like I said, it's a very anal question. Hopefully my query isn't lost in the verbal diarrhea...

Eagerly awaiting both Jennings volumes.

[Richard Kaufman]

PapaG, a good question.

I've tackled this sort of issue different ways in the past. For my books CardMagic and CoinMagic (almost 2000 drawings between them), I wrote the text and had a friend take photos of my hands for everything. Then I made the drawings of my own hands from that.

Yes, I have to be able to do--at some level--every sleight and trick in a book I write. How could it be otherwise? Unless you put the cards and coins in your hands, how you can explain what the hell is going on? You have to feel it! There's a Pass of Derek Dingle's in his book that I could not master--it made my hands, wrists, and tendons hurt so I stopped trying. I'm sure my description of it is inadequate, but it was the best I could do.

However, from The Complete Works of Derek Dingle onward, I always took the photos myself of the subject's hands (Dingle, Roth, Hamman, Sankey, Burger, Jennings, and so on). If you look at the drawings you can clearly see the differences in the hands. Even when I stopped drawing myself, all of the books that Ton Onosaka and Earle Oakes illustrated for me were done from photos that I took of the subject's hands. (The only exceptions were books illustrated by Joe Schmidt, whom I hired precisely because he didn't need photographs. However, I tried to avoid using Joe whenever intricate sleight of hand was to be taught.)

So here I am with Larry Jennings. Very little of my writing has been done from memory. I shot 18 hours of videotape, plus have been given by Mike Maxwell and Louis Falanga additional videos made for Classic Magic and Cardwright that contain material not used in those books. In addition, I have the 90 audio cassettes with about 125 hours of tricks he recorded. So, no memory work here really, except connecting a few dots when stuff on the audio cassettes wasn't clear.

For the photographs (and it will be photographs because I can't afford to hire an artist to do 1500 drawings--the book market will not support the expense), all will be my hands. The detail of the level of writing in the new Jennings' books is very great and I always write as if there won't be any illustrative material of any kind--so posing for the photos isn't much of an issue. When Jennings was teaching me everything--which is how I write a book: I have to be able to DO everything--there were certain sleights which I could not do. I pressed Jennings about this (like most guys with large hands, he was loathe to admit that they gave him an advantage) and he was, with no hesitation, able to explain how these few sleights could be done by people with smaller hands. He had thought about this before I even asked him.

But, I have to tell you that there aren't a lot of sleights where hand size is a problem. (You might think Jennings' One-Hand Bottom Palm from Classic Magic is one of them, but it isn't--the description in the book is just wrong.) My hand is the same size as Vernon's was--I held it palm to palm with his to check it one day. Neither of us have big hands, in fact, our hands are slightly smaller than average. Howie Schwarzman has tiny hands, yet his sleight of hand is impeccable.

So, because of all the videotaping done while Jennings was alive, and because I had listened and made notes on most of the audio cassettes while I could still ask Jennings questions, not many problems have presented themselves. Most people don't have hands the size Jennings did, and the way in which I demonstrate the sleights will actually be more helpful, and applicable to more people, than if he had posed himself. I know that sounds ass-backwards, but you understand my point. None of the other books I've written involved people with enormously large hands except for Gary Kurtz, and it didn't seem to make any difference there. I was able to do everything as I wrote it with no problem.

Plus, others who studied with Jennings, like Bill Goodwin, have answered questions for me as I've been writing. Some things I saw Larry do are lost forever unfortunately, because I didn't have my video camera in my hand at that moment. Some brilliant things ... a pity. At least I will publish much of his legacy.

Oddly, one of the things I absolutely cannot do is Vic Sendax's handling of the Interlocked Production of Cards. It's brilliant, and I killed myself for years--my hands really hurt after a while. Absolutely couldn't get it to work. Discussed it at length with Sendax and it turns out my right second finger isn't long enough--that simple. And perhaps that's why no one else does that method, either. You need a very long second finger.

Hope I've answered your question.

At the moment I've been very busy working on the DeLand book, and am about to start writing a Tenkai book (for which Ton Onosaka will do the drawings). The good news is that I have found a photographer for the Jennings book who can work very quickly. I have two herniated discs in my lower back, and posing for photos is a week-long agonizing process. Crippling, actually. So, it will get done when I can manage it.

While I used to be able write a single book at a time, my attention span at the half-century mark isn't what it used to be. So I go back and forth between Jennings, DeLand, and Cliff Green. Add Tenkai to the mix and you see how things can take a while. I'll probably get bored with DeLand again and go back to Jennings before the end of the year.

[PapaG]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

[David Thomas]

Thanks for sharing that with us I found the whole post very interesting.

[Bill Wells]

Richard -

What a fascinating explanation of what's involved in trying to get the necessary information across - particularly on the illustrations. Chuck Romano should add it as insert to his wonderful book. Thank you for taking the time to answer the question.

Bill

[John Carey]

Hi Richard,

Can we have a wee update on Larry's book please?

Many thanks

John

[Richard Kaufman]

Update: no news other than that Julie Eng, who took the photos for the Zarrow book, will take the photos. Finding someone to do that is actually a very big step.

I've been spending any free time working on some other things.

[Sean-Dylan]

Any updates?

[Richard Kaufman]

Work has stopped because of the book for the public. Less than four more chapters to write and another hundred or so photos to take: we deliver it to the publisher next Monday.
Then I have to work on the next issue of Genii.

Oh, and I am writing another book--about a living person, and I'll finish that before returning to Jennings.

[El Mystico]

so - for the Jennings book - what is your best guess about publication year?

[Richard Kaufman]

Not before 2010. The good news is that several books are coming together rapidly. The book I'm currently writing (the new book for magicians, not the one for the public) should be out before the end of the year. The DeLand book is actually closer to being publication-ready than the Jennings book (because it doesn't require 1500 photos!). The DeLand book will have almost 100 tricks in it.

[PapaG]

Where does the new book of Japanese magic fit into the schedule?

[Richard Kaufman]

With a wedge--in there--somewhere. It only needs about a week of concentrated work on my part. But with so many things going on, that's a hard 168 hours to find.

[Mike P]

I still can't wait to see the second and third of the Jennings books.
The first one was great.
Just wanted to say thanks for the publishing of all the material you do publish Richard.
Mike

[Richard Kaufman]

Busy working on a different book at this time--something many of you will find of interest, and it should be out by the end of this year. Then it's back to work on DeLand and Jennings 2.

[Robert Meisch]

I was just given Jennings '67 as a birthday gift and WOW! What a great book. I'm sorry I didn't check it out earlier. I can't wait to dig in with a deck in hand.

Book two in the trilogy, from the posts in this thread, seems even more amazing. Count me in... can't wait for it..

Thanks Mr. Kaufman, I appreciate your hard work.

Robert Meisch

[Roberto]

I just acquired Jennings '67 myself and I can't put this book down. What a wonderful tome of Jennings' card magic! I can't beleive I waited so long to get this book.

Richard, can you give us an update on the second Jennings' book? Many thanks!!

Roberto

[Richard Kaufman]

No update at the moment. Working on the David Berglas book, "The Berglas Effects," every day that time allows. Will finish that first.

[Roberto]

Thank you Richard. Just know that I will be eagerly waiting with credit card in hand ready to order the next Jennings book, as well as the Berglas book.

Roberto

[Robert Meisch]

Yeah, I'll second that notion. I am eagerly awaiting Both Books.

-robert

[PeterDGr8]

Hi Richard,

Hope you and your growing family are well. I'm a big fan of your books and videos and am (like nearly 99% of the magic frat on this planet) eagerly looking forward to the eventual arrival of LJTIE.

Was looking over your prodigious table of contents and I was just curious...what proportion of the book's contents are moves and what are actual effects? Looks like there's a TON of moves and very few effects. Or am I reading things incorrectly?

thx

Peter

[Richard Kaufman]

Peter, you're reading things incorrectly (as you surmised).
I think there are nearly 100 tricks in the book.

In the actual table of contents in the book the tricks are all in bold so they're easier to spot.

[Joe Mckay]

Hi Richard,

Just being re-reading JENNINGS '67 and wanted to ask if JENNINGS TAKES IT EASY will be ready this year?

I know you get asked this alot - but I just wanted to see if 2011 was on the cards as a possibility?

Thanks!

Joe

[Richard Kaufman]

The two books I know that will come out in 2011 are those on David Berglas and Theodore DeLand.

[Yves Tourigny]

Hi Richard,

I know that patiente is a virtue but may I ask if we can expect JEnnings Takes It Easy in 2012? Or the japanese book? Or better yet, both? I'd like to have a go at these while my fingers are still working properly!!!!

Yves

[Richard Kaufman]

Jennings is being edited by a few folks, as is the DeLand manuscript. I have been slowly (very slowly) working on the book of Japanese close-up magic. It's possible, but somewhat unlikely, that the latter will come out this year.

I was going to have Earle Oakes do illustrations for the DeLand book, so am now in a quandry about that.

[Brian Hebert]

Do you have any idea on how long until Jennings? After editing, is there much more? Berglas and Jennings would be quite a year!

Sorry for the redundancy in the question.

Brian

[Richard Kaufman]

After the Jennings book is edited, I have to put all the corrections in and re-edit it myself. Considering it's a quarter million words, that will take a few months. Then I have to make time to take the photos (over a thousand).

In that sense, because the DeLand book requires only a few photos, it's closer to completion.

[Ricky Difeo]

Hi Richard!

Can you updated information about the book "Mr. Jennings Takes It Easy "

I want to read these book and the secuel!!!

Thank you!
Ricardo Difeo
La Plata - Buenos Aires -Argentina

[Richard Kaufman]

I'm completing the Tenyo book at the moment.

After that, since the text for the DeLand book is edited, proofed, and ready for layout, that will come next.

Jennings after that (the taking of the 1,500 photographs being the biggest hold up).

After 10 years of not publishing much, I have managed to get out Berglas and Japan Ingenious, so there's some hope!

[Mag Ferran]

Richard,

Thanks por updating information about Jennings book. Hope you could finishing soon!

[Richard Kaufman]

My goal is late 2015.

[Spoook]

You can put me on the pre-order list. Been waiting a long time for this book.

[El Mystico]

Great news!