Contest for a Copy of Erdnase Signed by Vernon To Skinner

[Richard Kaufman]

I am posting this for Geno Munari--the presenter of this contest. Note that this is a contest (or raffle), NOT an auction. It costs nothing to enter:

Hi everyone. I am going to raffle off a copy of the Expert at the Card Table that was given to Mike Skinner from Dai Vernon, inscribed and autographed.

I love books but I prefer a working library that I use everyday, and maybe write in the margins. This book should belong to someone else.

The rules are:

Anyone can enter.

Send in an essay or a sentence of what Erdnase (The Expert at the Card Table) means to you.

You will be put in good standing for a drawing of all the entries.

All entries will be non returnable and the property of Geno Munari, including intellectual rights.

The drawing will be held by a third party to be chosen by Richard Kaufman, John Moehring and Jon Racherbaumer.

All entries must be submitted by Aug. 31. 2008

Email to Munari@msn.com

Or: Geno Munari
6455 Dean Martin Dr
Suite L
Las Vegas,NV 89118

[Ryan Matney]

would we be judged on the content of the essay alone or is it a random drawing?

[Tim Ellis]

Are the essays going to be used for some future publication?

[Richard Hatch]

"Erdnase meant nothing to me until I watched the Allan Ackerman DVDs. Now Erdnase means everything to me!"

[Richard Hatch]

Am I in the drawing now?

[Richard Hatch]

"Erdnase meant nothing to me until I watched the Allan Ackerman DVDs. Now Erdnase means everything to me!"

PS: Full disclosure: I haven't seen the Ackerman DVDs yet...

[Richard Kaufman]

It's a random drawing, I believe.

Since the sentence or essay or whatever you write will become the property of Geno Munari, he will be able to use it as he pleases, perhaps for advertising, down the line.

[Kent Gunn]

Erdnase means nothing, it was a pseudonym. That little book he wrote means everything.

[Richard Kaufman]

Geno is giving away--GIVING AWAY--a copy of one of the most famous books in our field, autographed by the most revered practitioner in our field, to one of the most admired magicians in our field.

I think this is a pretty cool raffle! So keep the snarky comments to yourselves, please.

[Magic Newswire]

Just a comment to offer my public appreciation for the generosity of this drawing. Very nicely done!

[Geno Munari]

The entries are coming but please send more. You can even describe your favorite item or sleight from the book. Or a note or two from a section.

The drawing will take place Monday Sept. 15..

So get those entries in to have a chance at winning Mike Skinner's copy of Expert at the Card Table, given to him be Dai Vernon. (inscribed)

[Bill Palmer]

Erdnase -- The Expert at the Card Table -- the first time I heard of the book was when I met Harry Riser. I purchased it a few days later. It's encyclopedic. It's mysterious. It's useful. It's everything a magic book should be. It's the kind of book you can read several times and get something new from it each time you read it.

And now, it's available on DVD, explained by Alan Ackerman and produced by Geno Munari. What else could you ask for?

[Tom Frame]

The most influential collection of card craft, written by history's most talked about unknown cardman.

[Magic Randy]

This is really cool. Thanks...

[Pepka]

A very cool contest, thanks Geno!

[CHRIS]

I would love to enter and own this wonderful piece of magic history. And this is a very grand gesture by Geno who has always been very giving and is a great man. So here is my essay Jason England deserves this more than anyone I dont think anyone truly loves this book more than Jason we all love it but I am pretty sure he has one under his pillow at night. His lecture at lvmi and his passion for it made me pick the book back up and really get serious. Great contest very cool.

[Geno Munari]

I know there are a lot of people who still have not entered this simple contest. So I am going to extend the deadline for enties another week to Sept. 7 with the drawing on Sept. 15.

[Richard Kaufman]

Folks, this is a no-brainer: send in your entries!

[Joe Pecore]

I just love the whole mystery behind the author of such an influential book.

[Jonathan Townsend]

I just love the whole mystery behind the author of such an influential book.

Agreed - I sometimes wonder what it would mean to folks if the factual basis of the matter were resolved - ie no mystery left about the book. What then? For now the topic offers a distraction rich in sentiment and historical vagaries - a myth for the magic community.

I sent Geno a story seed - not the one about the woman running a mission trying to help delinquent card losers rehabilitate by collecting their tricks into a book - and letting one of the bitter snarkey ones write some introductory and fill in text to help exorcise their demons - and publishing the book in the hopes that any money earned would help support the mission. Nope - not that story - but one more out of Neil Gaiman's line of fun.

IMHO this book helps us remember the joy of not knowing - which is part of what we offer audiences.

[Jon Racherbaumer]

This is NOT an entry because I'm a small part of the program. Consider it an unbidden "chime in"...

WHY I STUDY ERDNASE

A question not asked so far regarding the intense interest regarding the identity of the person who wrote Expert at the Card Table is this: How would this knowledge improve the concrete contents of the book? Or: Would finally knowing who he is provide insights, runic or otherwise, regarding our understanding of what the book teaches?

Suppose someone eventually finds the smoking gun? Suppose someone authenticates the authors true identity. What then?

Even if we have a genuine, unchallenged photograph of the author and can clearly see what he looks like, what then? Even after we locate possible letters, newspaper accounts, and other biographical information about this person, will the material really reveal the authors personality, character, and motives? At best, we would be faced with more questions? More evidence would simply give us more tantalizing clues, more vexing hints. Speculation, albeit more refined and specific, would continue.

Stripping away layers reveals more layers.

I prefer to imagine the person who called himself Erdnase (in print) as a grainy, feature-less shadow cast on a damp, rain-soaked, brick wall in a deserted part of an industrial city.

It is this inscrutable shadow who redirects me to the words in his book, to its calculated grammar, to its essential lessons.

Between the lines are Zen koans. What we find there leads us to what is NOT there.

The Shadow of course knows and, because he is a shadow, you cannot tell if he is grinning now.

Onward, fellow Ernasians

[Joe Mckay]

I can understand the fuss made about Hofzinser's work but I don't get the fuss with Erdnase. Seems like the book wouldn't get anywhere near as much attention if it were not for Vernon banging on about it. If people were not blinded by the hype they would see the book for what it is - a pretty good book. Nothing more - nothing less... I think alot of the book's allure is wrapped in the twin mythologies of Vernon and the unknown identity of the author. That is all well and good, but detracts from an objective analysis of the book and it's worth.

Better books from the early part of the Twentieth Century would be 'Expert Card Technique', 'Royal Road To Card Magic', 'Encyclopedia Of Card Tricks' and the works of Hofzinser and Charles Jordan. I especially love 'Encyclopedia Of Card Tricks' and the Charles Jordan stuff...

If Richard reads this he may disagree - but I remember hearing it said that he wrote similar things about Erdnase and Hofzinser in his early book 'CardMagic' (which I haven't read - so, I may be wrong)

All the best (and please don't shoot me),

Joe

[David Thomas]

Mr. Racherbaumer, your writing continues to intrigue me.

[Kent Gunn]

Herr Racherbaumer,

I'm glad there's one magician, alive today, who can compose a sentence or two; with a touch of class and a dash of whimsy.

Thank you for that post.

[Joe Naud]

Was the drawing held on 9-15 as stated above and if so who won?
Peace, Joe

[Richard Kaufman]

Jon Racherbaumer performed the drawing yesterday. Geno will announce the results shortly.

[Geno Munari]

The winner is Eli Atie.


PLease contact by email and I will send out the book.

Thank you all for entering.

[Chris Bailey]

Congrats Eli :)

[Magic Randy]

Congratulations Eli.