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The Magic Word The Magic Word

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633: 2021 Austin T.A.O.M. - Prelude Report

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Thursday September 2, 2021

11:30 - Unveiling of Houdini Way in Kingsland, Texas, the first and only street in Texas named after the famed magician.

12:30 - champagne reception at home of Trixie Bond and Mark Axford following the street sign unveiling

8:00 - Esther’s Follies featuring Ray Anderson

On Friday morning September 3rd we had a LIVE virtual tour of Houdini artifacts from the University of Texas, Ransom Center, Austin, Texas presented by Dr. Eric Colleary. This very special “kick-off” for the Texas Association Of Magicians (T.A.O.M.) was open to all at NO COST and a unique opportunity to see some of the collection that few ever get to see in their lifetime. The Ransom Center houses an amazing collection of Houdini ephemera including papers, documents, correspondence, and artifacts associated with the magician, escape artist, business man, aviator, author, and actor popularly known as Harry Houdini. Dr. Colleary took us through an assortment of memorabilia with stops along the way as responded to your questions.

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Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 - Scott Wells explains what’s going on today prior to the official start of the TAOM

00:05:56 - Trixie Bond talks about the ceremony we are about to see

00:08:24 - official unveiling ceremony for the first street in Texas named for Houdini with Mark Axford, Scott Wells, Kent Cummins, Bertil Fredstrom and Trixie Bond

00:29:16 - Bill Winters gives us a preview of his talk about Walter Gibson that he will deliver at the Collectors Meeting tomorrow morning

00:32:31 - Ray Anderson answers some questions after Esther’s Follies

00:39:36 - Michael Ammar joins us in the back seat of a car with road noise and other conversations but he talks about “Discover Magic” and what he has been doing in recent years and currently.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Posted in Convention Report and tagged with T.A.O.M., Austin Texas, Mark Axford, Trixie Bond, Kent Cummins, Bertil Fredstrom, Bill Winters, Ray Anderson, Michael Ammar.

September 2, 2021 by Scott Wells.
  • September 2, 2021
  • Scott Wells
  • T.A.O.M.
  • Austin Texas
  • Mark Axford
  • Trixie Bond
  • Kent Cummins
  • Bertil Fredstrom
  • Bill Winters
  • Ray Anderson
  • Michael Ammar
  • Convention Report
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621: Chris "Saul Ravencraft" Walden - A Bizzarist Comes Out

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Chris Walden, from “Keep Austin Weird” Austin, Texas, is a professional entertainer who has won a comedy award from the Texas Association of Magicians; however, he soon realized that was not who he was. As he continued his journey of introspection, he came to the realization that his path was going to be as a “bizarre” entertainer. For those not familiar with this term, the internet defines a bizzarist as: “One who is a magician but uses storytelling and word play to a much greater degree, and less emphasis is placed on the manual dexterity of the performer or the complexity of his equipment.” As a result of his life’s journey, he is now known as “Saul Ravencraft.”

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In this week’s episode, Saul Ravencraft talks about his journey to “find himself” that might prove inspirational to some listeners who are questioning their identity and character. Along the way, Saul talks about his short-lived live, online paranormal radio show, The Shadow Hour, and some of the interesting guests he had on the show. He also discusses the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, plus a little about his mentor and friend, the late Ed Solomon aka “Denomolos”.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Tagged with Chris Walden, Saul Ravencraft, bizarre, storytelling, Ed Solomon, Austin Texas, Denomolos, Museum of the Weird, Down the Rabbit Hole, The Shadow Hour.

July 15, 2021 by Scott Wells.
  • July 15, 2021
  • Scott Wells
  • Chris Walden
  • Saul Ravencraft
  • bizarre
  • storytelling
  • Ed Solomon
  • Austin Texas
  • Denomolos
  • Museum of the Weird
  • Down the Rabbit Hole
  • The Shadow Hour
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619: Eric Colleary PhD - In Front of the Bookcase

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This week we travel to Austin, Texas where one of the world’s largest collection of Houdini ephemera resides. Dr. Eric Colleary is our guest who is the Cline Curator of Theatre & Performing Arts at the Harry Ransom Center, an international humanities research library, archive, and museum. He holds a Ph.D. in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota and an all-around great guy. The title “In Front of the Bookcase” for this week’s episode comes from the massive bookcase (and its contents) once owned by Houdini that now is owned by the University.

This week’s podcast episode on YouTube.

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In this conversation, Dr. Colleary tells us about how this Houdini collection came to Austin, Texas and what is in the massive collection. There are some interesting stories in this week’s episode told about Houdini and Eric also debunked a few myths around parts of this collection.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Tagged with Eric Colleary PhD, Houdini, Harry Houdini, magic collection, University of Texas, Ransom Center, Austin Texas, John Cox.

July 1, 2021 by Scott Wells.
  • July 1, 2021
  • Scott Wells
  • Eric Colleary PhD
  • Houdini
  • Harry Houdini
  • magic collection
  • University of Texas
  • Ransom Center
  • Austin Texas
  • John Cox
  • Post a comment
Comment
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

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Thanks to all of you listeners, The Magic Word Podcast and our newsletter (or “podletter” as I call it) has been recognized by FISM and received nominations in two categories. Please click on one of the graphics above and cast your vote to help push us on to victory in Turin, Italy, this summer! Thank you!

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This week on The Magic Word Podcast, a chat with Christian & Katalina who have been performing their Mind Tripping Show in Indianapolis for 16 years.  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/908-christian-and-katalina
#indianapolis #m
This week we feature an episode about two magicians 🎩 🎩 who share ideas on how to find your own theatre to perform in, plus learn how to work with a magic partner on stage. Visit the website for more information:  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.co
What a great, action-packed, adrenaline-laced, fast-paced movie. I recommend watching part one (Dead Reckoning) to catch up from where we left off two years ago. Best to see this on the big screen. Recommended!
Eric Leclerc joins us from Canada this week to talk about comedy and his experience being the compere (emcee) at the Blackpool convention 2025. #ericleclerc #canadianmagician #comedymagic #mikehammer https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagi
My son, Nick, received stem cells today for his leukemia. That means that today is his new "birthday." Let's hope and pray that this treatment works this time. 🤞
And then this happened! I was surprised at AbraCORNdabra with this award. Thank you for recognizing and appreciating my efforts. #abracorndabra2025 #tinybubbles
Three days of reports from AbraCORNdabra in Des Moines, Iowa featuring chats with organizers, registrants, dealers, and talent like @jekiyoo #stevedaly #alschneidermagic @samelsonmagic #abracorndabra2025 #desmoines #magicconvention
IYKYK Happy Mother's Day. Celebrating our annual pilgrimage with Kathy at my side, in spirit.
This week on The Magic Word Podcast, a chat with Christian & Katalina who have been performing their Mind Tripping Show in Indianapolis for 16 years.  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/908-christian-and-katalina
#indianapolis #m This week we feature an episode about two magicians 🎩 🎩 who share ideas on how to find your own theatre to perform in, plus learn how to work with a magic partner on stage. Visit the website for more information:  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.co What a great, action-packed, adrenaline-laced, fast-paced movie. I recommend watching part one (Dead Reckoning) to catch up from where we left off two years ago. Best to see this on the big screen. Recommended! Eric Leclerc joins us from Canada this week to talk about comedy and his experience being the compere (emcee) at the Blackpool convention 2025. #ericleclerc #canadianmagician #comedymagic #mikehammer https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagi My son, Nick, received stem cells today for his leukemia. That means that today is his new "birthday." Let's hope and pray that this treatment works this time. 🤞 And then this happened! I was surprised at AbraCORNdabra with this award. Thank you for recognizing and appreciating my efforts. #abracorndabra2025 #tinybubbles Three days of reports from AbraCORNdabra in Des Moines, Iowa featuring chats with organizers, registrants, dealers, and talent like @jekiyoo #stevedaly #alschneidermagic @samelsonmagic #abracorndabra2025 #desmoines #magicconvention IYKYK Happy Mother's Day. Celebrating our annual pilgrimage with Kathy at my side, in spirit.

The Magic Word Has been recognized by FeedSpot as the # 1 magician podcast in the world. Thank you all for your support and for listening throughout the years.

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