AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies

In the 1950s and ’60s, Dutch magician Fred Kaps was considered one of, if not the most, well-respected conjuror of his generation. The man was a sensational performer, a brilliant technician, an innovator, equally charming on every platform and in multiple languages. After making a name for himself in Europe and the UK, Kaps was ready to take Ameri

These unknowing actors were oblivious to the story they were telling and completely ignorant of this crucial fact: Their truths were in service of a lie.

“You were telling them what you wanted them to hear. You need to let them tell themselves the story.”

You think heroes are bulletproof until Superman calls and asks you to save him.

Marveling at how a single move got Grayson to open up to me, I asked Walt, “Why do you think that impressed him so much?” He replied, “Because he’s never met anyone who can do it.”

With Walt’s guidance, my hands outpaced his within a year and I was able to execute techniques even he couldn’t do. He loved it. It became fun for him to see what he could throw at me, giving me harder and harder material, expecting me to throw in the towel. But I never did. I loved seeing the smile on Walt’s face when I’d come back the next day pe

I am not interested in fooling people. Or at least that’s why I’m so uncomfortable performing as a magician. It’s not about deception. It’s about the deception of truth. To know illusions is to know reality. How can we know what’s true if we can’t recognize what’s false?

I knew the world that was behind me. I found it to be unwelcoming, often unkind, and there seemed to be little use for me there.

I was so tired of fluttering from job to job. I wanted a career.