Conversations With Close

Michael Close

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In these podcasts, I interview talented magicians from around the world—performers, creators, and innovators who are shaping the future of magic. I aim to ask thought-provoking questions that lead to meaningful discussions, offering you unique insights you won't find elsewhere. If you enjoy the conversations, I’d love for you to visit our website and explore some of the products we offer. www.MichaelClose.com

2025-08-20

Asi Wind Interview - S6 E10

Asi Wind is a world-class performer and creator. He is also an author and a talented watercolor artist. I spoke with Asi about his background (both magically and artistically), the performers who inspired him, and his creative/problem-solving process. We spoke for seventy minutes, and could certainly have gone on for far longer.

1 tim 16 min
2025-06-07

Let's Talk Latta - S6 E9

My guests this month on Conversations with Close are Jamy Ian Swiss and Peter Samelson. I’ve known Jamy for more than forty years; while I haven’t known Peter as long, he is a very close friend. Both are superb magicians. Our discussion about Geoff was wide ranging and often emotional. When you listen to it, I think you’ll gain a greater appreciation for Geoff and his magic.

1 tim 38 min
2025-04-26

Ben Seidman Interview S6 E8

I’m a big Ben Seidman fan. He’s funny, he’s smart, and, because he has a profound interest in designing material that will entertain and deeply fool any audience, we have common ground when we discuss conjuring. In this edition of Conversations with Close, Ben and I discuss his background, his magic and comedy inspirations, and his approach to creating routines. We also dig into his new book, Principles of Deception.

1 tim
2025-03-25

Christopher Carter Interview S6 E7

For more than thirty years, Christopher Carter has been one of the busiest performers on the college circuit and has been in demand as a corporate entertainer and keynote speaker. His effect Cold Fusion, published in the Linking Ring in 1990 was adapted by Doc Eason and became one of close-up magic’s most popular effects: Anniversary Waltz. Chris’s new book, In the Spotlight, will be published soon; it is a must-have for anyone interested in mentalism. Chris wrote a column for me when I was the editor of M-U-M, but we hadn’t spoken in a while, so we took this opportunity to catch up. Our conversation was wide ranging, I hope you enjoy it. Find out more about Chris in our March 2025 MichaelClose.com Newsletter.

38 min
2025-02-26

Aurelio Paviato Interview S6 E6

Aurelio Paviato is my guest on this month’s Conversations with Close. Aurelio is a well-established, fulltime pro in Italy; he performs at corporate functions and has his own one-man show, Storie di un Artigiano di Illusioni. He is a past FISM champion in close-up, and has had a long association with such greats as Arturo Ascanio, Juan Tamariz, Roberto Giobbi, and others of the Escorial group. I found a kindred spirit in Aurelio because both of us have a magic aesthetic heavily influenced by Dai Vernon. We discussed his background, and took a deep dive into several of the routines in his book, Studies in Deception (see my review in the February 2025 MichaelClose.com Newsletter) During all of it, I felt as if I was talking to an old friend.

1 tim 7 min
2025-01-30

Stephen Minch Interview S6 E5

In this installment of Conversations with Close, my guest is the man who, as a writer, editor, and/or publisher, is responsible for many of the most important magic texts published in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. If you have read, studied, enjoyed, and benefitted from books like The Vernon Chronicles, The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley, Carneycopia, the Card College series (in English), The Books of Wonder, and Mnemonica (in English), you can thank Stephen Minch. I was well aware of Stephen’s prowess as a writer when we met for the first time in 1992 at an Ibidem convention held at the Old Stone Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario; we hit it off immediately. Although our paths don’t cross that often, I always enjoy the time we spend together. He is a fascinating individual. The reason for our interview is the soon-to-be-released book, Flamenco, featuring magic by the maestro, Juan Tamariz (see the review in the Jan 2025 Michael Close Newsletter). The book has been in the pipeline since 1995; Stephen gives us the backstory, plus fascinating reminiscences of Mickey Hades, Doug Henning, Martin Nash, Alex Elmsley, and Tommy Wonder. I think you’ll really enjoy listening to one of the true giants in the history of magic publishing.

1 tim 5 min
2025-01-01

Gary Plants Interview S6 E4

Gary Plants is an old friend; we met more than forty years ago at one of Joe Stevens’ early Desert Magic Seminar conventions. Gary is an extraordinary technician, a magic scholar, and an enthusiastic magic hobbyist. Occasionally, he lectures at magic conventions, and lately he has been doing more public performing. Gary is also a collector with a focus on magic photographs and private correspondence. And, as those of you who are friends with Gary on Facebook are aware, he is also an excellent photographer. During the course of our conversation, Gary talked about his first magic convention, in West Virginia in 1977, and his first “big” convention, the SAM fiftieth anniversary convention in New York City in 1978. I had a great time talking to Gary; I think you’ll enjoy our conversation. You can learn more about Gary and see photos from the convention Gary talked about in the December 2024 issue of the MichaelClose.com Newsletter.

1 tim 8 min
2024-11-18

Mick Ayres Interview S6 E3

Mick Ayres has had a fascinating and varied career with the Walt Disney Company, working as a magician, storyteller, and musician. Like many performers, his world was upended by the Covid pandemic. But Mick found a new stage at the thirteen Marriott Resorts scattered across Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. For years, Mick shared his expertise in act construction, scriptwriting, and character development through his column, The High Road, in M-U-M. I found these articles so insightful and practical that I felt they deserved a broader audience. That’s why I’ve been sharing them in our newsletter, and I’m thrilled to announce that Mick will also be contributing fresh insights through his The Art of Conjuring column—I’m sure you’ll find them fun and engaging. To mark the occasion, I sat down with Mick for a conversation about his journey. We discussed his background, mentors, music, scripting, time with Disney, and his secrets for presenting magic to everyday audiences. Mick is a fantastic storyteller, and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. I’m sure you will, too.

1 tim 19 min

In these podcasts, I interview talented magicians from around the world—performers, creators, and innovators who are shaping the future of magic. I aim to ask thought-provoking questions that lead to meaningful discussions, offering you unique insights you won't find elsewhere. If you enjoy the conversations, I’d love for you to visit our website and explore some of the products we offer. www.MichaelClose.com

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Michael Close
Aktiva år

2019 - 2025
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52
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© Michael Close
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