Racherbaumer's Slant

[Matthew Field]

So Jon ends his excellent (as always) February "On the Slant" column with a quiz of sorts, the answer to which is a subject dear to my heart. Ralph Gironda et al are pseudonyms of a prolific magician about whom I have given several talks, to The Magic Circle History Gathering and the European Magic History Conference, among others.

I found this quiz especially timely since I am in the process of rereading the 6 volumes of Marlo's Magazine, which have resided on my groaning bookshelves for the past 20 years or so since purchasing them from Marlo's widow, Muriel, and reading them at that time. The gentleman Jon refers to occupies a special place in the Magazines (which are huge, 350 page behemoths), that place being one of contempt.

It is enlightening and amusing to read these screeds, written in the 1970 and '80s, some by Jon himself. Magic is filled with these feuds and with the passage of time, they fade into the noisy background which accompanies many pursuits. I've been on the receiving end of one of these from a cardman who originally hails from Scotland, and I had a long series of email discussions with Bruce Cervon on the old Gemini Network of Joe Stevens about Larry Jennings and who contributed what to the Invisible Palm Aces plot.

My impression is that the "younger generation" of magicians do not, for the most part, care a whit about any of this.

So shall it mote.

Thanks, Jon, for a most erudite and enlightening read.

Matt Field

[Joe Mckay]

That cardman was actually born in America. But we will class him as one of our own since he is so good.

When I was younger - I used to love all these feuds in magic. I guess I found it fascinating that there would be so much argument in a field as seemingly genteel as magic.

But these days I find it all a bore. Alex Elmsley had that attitude as well. He couldn't care less about these sorts of disputes.

"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake. That is why academic politics are so bitter."- Wallace Sayre

[Steve Mills]

"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake. That is why academic politics are so bitter."- Wallace Sayre

NEW - to me - I love it!