844: Joe Devlin - Matador In The Arena

Known as the “Matador of Magic,” Joe Devlin has lived what, for most, would be several lifetimes full of magic. He has performed around the world aboard cruise ships for 37 years; he has created and performed unique, original illusions; he was one of the performers in NYC at the Magic Townhouse and Mostly Magic; he had long term engagements in Atlantic City and in the Bahamas; his wedding was the subject of a one-hour “reality” show; he appeared on “All My Children” daytime network television; he has been a consultant tor Criss Angel’s show “Magic of the Stars” and others, and; he was a featured performer on Criss Angel’s “Amysitika” show in Las Vegas.

In this week’s episode, Joe talks about his amazing history of performing, creating and consulting magic over the years. His fast-paced style and on-stage choreography reminds one of the moves of a flamenco dancer and also of a Spanish bullfighter in the arena. This week he chats about a lot of what he has accomplished over the past 40+ years including a bit about taking care of the Houdini Memorial in New York. He had two touring illusion shows, but since the death of his wife/assistant, he has focused on singular performances and consulting.

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 Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly 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.

803: John McLaughlin -The Intersection Between Spy Craft and the Craft of Magic

It was a hot and muggy night in Warsaw, unusual for this time of the year. Sitting at the bar was a man nursing a beer. No one noticed his unkempt appearance or the bulge in his jacket pocket. As the bartender rang up another transaction, a young man wearing a ball cap swung open the door. A quick sideways glance was given to the stranger who strode over to take a seat at the bar. The young man ordered a beer then turned and quietly said, “Erdnase.” After a few uneasy moments that seemed like an eternity, the man reached into his pocket. He pulled out a deck of cards and suddenly…it was magic time.

That could have gone in a completely different direction and oftentimes it does in the world of spy craft. This week we chat with the former Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.), John McLaughlin. There is an overlap and kinship in the keeping of secrets both as spies and as magicians, though one doesn’t control the balance of life and death in their hands. John is an American Intelligence Officer who served as Deputy Director of the C.I.A. under President Bill Clinton and then briefly as the Acting Director of the C.I.A. under President G.W. Bush then retired in 2004. McLaughlin currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C

While attending the 2023 S.A.M. convention in New Orleans, John and I had a chance to have a long conversation about some of the declassified operations in the C.I.A., “Project Mincemeat”, the “War Magician” (Jasper Maskelyne), the similarities between spies and magicians, and the local magic scene in Washington, D.C.

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

Click on this link to see information and prices for other ways of reading/hearing "The War Magician", i.e. digital, audible, paperback and hardback.

789: Harry Maurer - Life on the Deep Blue Sea

From Houston, Texas, to Tokyo, Japan, Harry Maurer has done it all. It is hard to say if he is best known as a cruise ship magician as he does (or has done) so many things and done them all to perfection. When he is not at sea, he is busy booking himself and his lovely wife, Carol Anne, in clubs, casinos, banquet rooms and theaters across the U.S. It is rare to find him at home where we caught him for this special episode.

Although this week’s episode is entitled, “Life on the Deep Blue Sea,” where Harry talks at length about his cruising experiences over the years, he also talks about performing in Las Vegas with Joey Bishop (one of the original members of the Rat Pack), entertaining at the Playboy Club, experiences on and off stage with notable celebrities and celebrated magicians. He also gives us a sneak preview of his talk he often presents to group about the War Magician. If you would like to order a copy of the book, then you can order through Amazon by clicking on the link below in this blog.

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

Order your copy of "The War Magician" by David Fisher from Amazon and help The Magic Word Podcast by clicking on this link. As an affiliate of Amazon, each purchase you make using our link helps the podcast.