I'm not a hard-sell type of person. I also believe in honesty. I'm not going to tell you the I "only have x number of spots left for next summer", if it's not true. So here's the truth...I've been getting more libraries calling me earlier for next year than I have in the past. As of right now, the last day of September, I'm scheduled to do 22 shows at 15 different libraries next summer. For the most part, these are libraries that have had me in the past and want to make sure

One thing you need to know about me is that I love visiting obscure tourist attractions. I always have. I've seen big balls of string, Mystery Spots and odd museums from coast to coast. Yes, I'm the kind of guy who actually stops to read those historical markers on the side of the road. Performing at libraries across the Midwest gives me a chance to see some remarkable things that just make me giddy. Corn Palace? Been there. Wall Drug? Wouldn't miss it. Carhenge? Definitely!

One thing I hear over and over again from librarians is that they really appreciate it when I customize my shows for the annual Summer Reading Program theme. To let you in on a little secret, I ENJOY putting together a new show each year. Yes, it's sometimes frustrating and yes, it's expensive and time-consuming, but it keeps me fresh and lets me exercise my creativity. The "Out Of This World" magic show has been so much fun to work with. I've found that I have more material

I don't think I've EVER had this many libraries book me so early for their Summer Reading Programs! Today I added a show at the Columbus Public Library in June and THREE shows at the Elkhorn Branch Library. That brings my total to 29 shows at 19 libraries so far! But don't get too panicked! There are still plenty of great dates left on my calendar.But don't wait too long, I've already had to turn a couple of libraries away because they couldn't get me on the date they need

2017 will certainly be one of the most memorable years of my life. As National President of the Society of American Magicians, I had the opportunity to travel both throughout the county and abroad. My wife and I took a boat ride on the Thames on our anniversary and visited Stonehenge the next day. I visited with magicians in Oregon, Washington, Texas, London, Blackpool, Las Vegas and in other cities and towns across the country. After a successful and productive term in offic

Wow! You librarians don't mess around! I'm getting several calls and e-mails and it's not even the end of November! Just today, I put Mason City, Iowa on my calendar and yesterday I added Columbus, Nebraska. Both of those libraries have had me several years in a row and now everytime I visit it's like visiting dear friends. Columbus and Mason City join Fremont, Papillion, Lincoln, Syracuse, Weeping Water and one Omaha Branch on my calendar so far. This year I performed a

I'm in sort of a fun mood, so instead of blogging about something serious, I thought I'd do something a bit lighter today and give you a list of 10 things you probably don't know about me. And, as a bonus...they're all library or reading related. I went to Jackson Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska as a child and one book that I checked out time after time from the school library was Dunninger's Complete Encyclopedia of Magic. Even way back then it was an outdated magic b

This is one of the best compliments I've ever received. A library system recently told me that they wanted to may me more than my regular fee because a) I hadn't raised my fees in several years; and b) they thought I was worth it. Over the years I've had other librarians tell me in confidence that I really should be charging more. So, why don't I? I think it ultimately boils down to my feelings of doing what I think is fair. I know that some libraries have smaller Summer R