Can an 8 year old write a magic book?

[Guest]

I think they are two different people and I think the kid is Spellbinders grandson. While I liked the ebook and thought it had some cool stuff in it I did mention on the radio I doubted it was written by an eight year old.
Steve V

[Spellbinder]

Originally posted by John LeBlanc:
You didn't answer my question. Aren't you Jim Gerrish, and isn't "Eleazar" your son?

I did answer your question, but you didn't like my answer, so you keep asking the question. However, the answer is NO on both counts. Steve V is correct about the relationship, but not about the book, but as I said, none of that matters.

If you think about it logically, you would see that no one of my generation could come up with "Every Century Silks." The concept of giving a spectator a magic marker to sign her name on a 36 inch silk goes against all I grew up with, all I was taught. I spent MY youth carefully washing and ironing silks for each show and treating them like the expensive treasures they were. Only the Dollar Store generation could think of such a thing as signing a silk. It still makes me cringe.

[Spellbinder]

An identity crisis! I love it! The magician is more important than the magic, it seems. I've heard Eleazar has been threatening to change his stage name to Criss Angel, if that name isn't already taken. That should sow confusion and obfuscation among the geniiologists.

[John LeBlanc]

Originally posted by Jim Gerrish:
An identity crisis! I love it! The magician is more important than the magic, it seems.

No, it's more that I'm not a fan of Jonathan Royle -- or Jonathan Royle clones.

John
http://www.escamoteurettes.com/blog/

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by Spellbinder:
...no one of my generation could come up with "Every Century Silks." The concept of giving a spectator a magic marker to sign her name on a 36 inch silk goes against all I grew up with, all I was taught...

There is a stunning cut and restored handkerchief routine where the volunteer actually cuts the handkerchief themselves.

Anyone who's learned magic back thirty years ago would be in the know of this routine and it's attendant visits to the dollar store for supplies.

Magicdom is simply not a good place to foist misrepresentations. Go play theater games with the muggles. Even when channeling one's inner child, it seems disingenuous to suggest to your peer magicians that this "inner child" is not informed of everything that the rest of your adult reality has to offer.

I celebrate the inner child, yet also chide the misguided adult who treats peer magicians as muggles.

[Bill Palmer]

Jim, I mean, Spellbinder, no I mean Jim and/or Spellbinder -- where do you get the information that Mozart was a brat?

[Guest]

Anent identities, crises, etc., this from Spellbinders and Jim Gerrishs website (http://www.magicnook.com):

Spellbinder, Phineas (born Victor Grimes, 1930) Formerly magic assistant to Jim Gerrish, branched out on his own as a stage magician in 1964, then fell under the influence of Wizard-style magic in 1975. Co-founded (with Jim Gerrish) The Magic Nook for Wizards, Witches and Magician in 2003 primarily to publish The Wizards' Journal. Spellbinder is an inventor of many Wizard-style magical effects. Some of his favorites include "The Fabled Cloak of Invisibility," "The Crystal Clear Cups and Chicks," and "Crazy Cabana Illusion."

Goodenough, Eleazar (born 1997) Stage name of Frederick Goode's son, who by the age of six had already invented and published his first trick "I Scry" (2003) in his grandfather's (Phineas Spellbinder) Wizards' Journal #1. His first book of paper magic "Tear-Able Magic" was published in 2005. He is the youngest member of The Wiz Kids, Inc. and continues to perform, invent and publish magic effects for his group and on his own. Most notable effects so far, "Every Century Silks" and "The Ultimate Newspaper Tear" (which includes his Tuck-it invention). Many of his effects appear in The Wizards' Journal.

[John LeBlanc]

Oh, well, that certainly clears things up.

John
new blog post: In the beginning.

http://www.escamoteurettes.com/blog/

[Mike Tyler]

Damn, Magicam. You're good. I've got a few people I need checked out, can ya help me?!!

Heck, you all are great! I've seen where a person gives you guys about a micro-second of a routine and within 3 or 4 replys you have the effect, originator of the effect, 5 sources confirming the creation of the effect and/or it's inventor; and which magicians are presently using the effect! <scratching head trying to figure out "how'd they do that"> Thanks! :)

[Guest]

Thanks for the compliment, Magicteacher. But actually, I got lucky this time and am really more like one who wonders how some of the folks on this forum dig up/know certain things. Clay

[Guest]

I bet his handling of "The Mummy's Finger" is amazing.

[Guest]

I have an incredibly hard time believing that an 8 year old could independently come up with Wiz-Kote, the magic coloring book, a newspaper tear, 20th century silks, the topit, popcorn production, card forces , mouth coils and a host of other well-known gimmicks and routines.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Marvello:
I have an incredibly hard time believing that an 8 year old could independently come up with Wiz-Kote, the magic coloring book, a newspaper tear, 20th century silks, the topit, popcorn production, card forces , mouth coils and a host of other well-known gimmicks and routines.

You're a little confused, Marvello. Eleazar Goodenough, the 8 year old, invented a specific variation of the newspaper tear called "The Ultimate Newspaper Tear."

He also invented a variation of the 20th Century Silks called "Every Century Silks."

He also invented a microwave bag popcorn production called "Popcorn Popper."

He invented other magic effects as well, but I won't confuse you further by listing them. They are listed on my site under his name in the Inventor's Project Index of The Wizards' Journals.

He did NOT invent, nor does he claim to have invented, the mouth coil. He teaches how to make your own and then gives you an original routine for using it in a "Mouthless Mouth Coil" version.

He did NOT invent the Topit, which was in use by street thieves and pick pockets and called the "Poacher's Pouch" in mid-nineteenth century London. He invented a variation of the Topit that he calls the "Tuck-It," combining some ideas from Professor Hoffman and Jack Miller that he got while perusing my magic library. His use of these various principles together is what makes it new and qualifies it as an "invention."

He has NOT invented a new card force (yet!). He has merely added some subtleties to older forces.

As for the "host of other well-known gimmicks and routines," since you don't name them, I won't go into detail as to whether you are confused about this or not. It is true that he has invented other gimmicks and routines, but perhaps not quite a "host" of them. He's only 8.

Jim Gerrish invented the O.O.P.S. Machine in 1976 which was ripped off and turned into the Wiz Kote, as we have documented before.

Clovis invented the coloring book around 1580, as documented by Reginald Scot in his Discoverie of Witchcraft, but Jim Gerrish has invented a new variation and routine which takes it several steps beyond the imagination (and time period) of Clovis.

All of our various inventions (I have quite a few myself) are well documented on The Magic Nook web site in our Inventors' Indices.

Finally, very few magic inventors have ever come up with their inventions "independently." Eleazar ends his book "Tear-Able Magic" with this acknowledgement: "I stood on the shoulders of magical giants and I saw a different view as a result. I acknowledge my debt to those who came before." Let's hope that older and wiser magic inventors also recognize this and give credit where credit is due.

I hope that clears up some more confusion.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Spellbinder:

Eleazar Goodenough, the 8 year old, invented a specific variation of the newspaper tear called "The Ultimate Newspaper Tear."

He also invented a variation of the 20th Century Silks called "Every Century Silks."

He also invented a microwave bag popcorn production called "Popcorn Popper."

Finally, very few magic inventors have ever come up with their inventions "independently." Eleazar ends his book "Tear-Able Magic" with this acknowledgement: "I stood on the shoulders of magical giants and I saw a different view as a result. I acknowledge my debt to those who came before." Let's hope that older and wiser magic inventors also recognize this and give credit where credit is due.

I hope that clears up some more confusion.

Let me restate: Since you feel the need to mention the effects by name: I find it hard to believe that an 8 year old invented "The Ultimate Newspaper Tear," "Every Century Silks" or the "Popcorn Popper," since these basic effects have been around for a long time. I also find it hard to believe that he would make a statement like the one attributed to him that you quoted above, regarding standing on the shoulders of giants... since the quote is actually a variation of one attributed to Sir Isaac Newton.

I find it much easier to believe that his grandfather and an adult friend decided to try to market some eBooks of rehashed effects by using him as a sales tool.

[Guest]

Sorry! I didn't mean to challenge your beliefs with facts. You are, of course, free to believe in anything you wish. I prefer to believe that people, especially young people, are capable of the most surprising thoughts as each one looks at the old world from his or her "new angle" in time. But that's just my belief. I hope you don't feel it challenges your settled beliefs and faith in everything staying just as it was yesterday.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Spellbinder:
Sorry! I didn't mean to challenge your beliefs with facts. You are, of course, free to believe in anything you wish. I prefer to believe that people, especially young people, are capable of the most surprising thoughts as each one looks at the old world from his or her "new angle" in time.

I understand that this is your sales pitch and you are working the "8 year old genius" thing pretty hard, and I am glad you are proud of your grandson, but I think it is clearly morally wrong to try to convince kids that they "invented" classic and well-known magic routines, and to then try to convince the public at large of the same thing.

[Guest]

I wish to make two points, and then I will stop responding to the goading of "Marvello" on this topic.

I have searched the database of purchasers and notice that you have never purchased anything at all from The Magic Nook, at least under the name Marvello, so you are basically criticizing things you have never read and about which you have no first-hand knowledge.

You attack the idea that my eight (almost nine now) year old grandson could have contributed original ideas and routines, but the arguments you use could be against anyone of any age who ever dared to dream up a new method or approach to a standard trick or routine. You seem to forget that both Jim Gerrish and I are listed as inventors of tricks on my site, along with hundreds of other magic inventors, yet you only pick on the eight-year old and his ideas.

I will stop pursuing this line of argument because it doesn't matter what you believe or what you think you believe. What matters is that new slants, subtlties, variations on routines and magic principles is going on every day, and that keeps magic alive and well, no matter the age, race, creed or gender of the inventor. Either you like Eleazar's ideas and can use them in your magic acts, or you don't like them and will never use them, but your reasons should have nothing to do with the inventor's age either way.