Steel and Silver by Richard Kaufman
Reviewed by Jamy Ian Swiss (originally published in Genii June, 1994)
I consider it my very good fortune to be able to begin my task as book reviewer with a
work of such outstanding quality. Without doubt, this extraordinary volume of the work
of Paul Gertner will, by year's end, be regarded as one of the best of the year's releases;
so important, in fact, that I will devote my first—unusually long—column entirely to this
book.
Paul Gertner should require little if any introduction to most magicians. His achievements
are sufficient to rivet the attention of any conjuror, regardless of interest or specialty. A
"magician's magician," as the saying goes, he has won some of the most prestigious
magic contests in the United States and Europe. His television credits are equally renown.
And all of these credentials may well pale when compared to the fact that Paul Gertner
is one of the most successful trade show and corporate magicians of his generation.
(For further details of Mr. Gertner's extensive and varied career, see the recent feature
in the April issue of Genii .) I would also be remiss if I failed to mention that in toting
around such a hefty resume, Mr. Gertner is bogged down by little if any additional baggage.
He is not only widely respected, but also well-liked. Along with his success as a family
man—always a challenge when magic is your sole source of income—this is no mean feat
in the back alleys of the magic community's sometimes mean streets.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Gertner perform many times over the years, at
conventions and lectures, as well as in the trade show booth. (I even have a copy of his
1970's television appearance, swathed in the stylish polyester of the era, on the Mr. Rogers
show!) Yet despite my familiarity with his repertoire and record, and the resulting
anticipation with which I approached this book, it has in fact fully exceeded my
expectations.
The book is well produced, in the style which Kaufman and Greenberg largely
established but have often drifted from of late, namely hard binding with a full color
film laminated dust jacket. (This is a design which I consider far preferable to the
laminated board format that Kaufman and Greenberg have been increasing resorting to
in recent years.) The line drawings by Ton Onosaka are superb; I think it not
unreasonable to suggest that Mr. Onosaka has indeed surpassed even the landmark
work of his publisher in this regard. Mr. Onosaka seems to have achieved a perfect
balance between the infinitely conflicting interests of extraneous detail and full
comprehension, three-dimensional life and flatland depiction. As well, he eschews the
use of heavy outlines which often obscure detail and lend magic illustrations a weighty,
frozen appearance.
The written descriptions are rendered in Mr. Kaufman's typical workmanlike manner;
light on style and heavy on content. Occasionally terse, the author's traditional
avoidance of in-depth theoretical discussion is off-set by segments appended to many of
the routines in the form of what might be deemed, um, afterthoughts. These appear in
fact to be representative, more or less, of Mr. Gertner's own (invaluable) words, with the
repeated introductory identification, "Paul Adds." More on this subject shortly.
Following a Foreword by Johnny Carson (not a bad trick in itself) and an Introduction
by David Williamson (in which, oddly enough, both contributors provide a number of
flattering statements about Mr. Gertner), the book contains 48 close-up items, including
20 coin routines, 16 card routines, and a number of general close-up magic routines
including Mr. Gertner's entire prize-winning act, with which he captured his Las Vegas
Seminar and FISM prizes. Included are all of the routines (save perhaps his rhyming
presentation for Flip Hallema's Flip Stick) that have become a part of Mr. Gertner's
well-deserved reputation amongst magicians, to wit: Unshuffled, The Reverse (coin)
Assembly, That's Ridiculous, the Steel Balls and Cups, Triple Die-lemma, and the Ring
on Hourglass. Also included is another routine that has been a staple of Mr. Gertner's
trade show work for many years, yet may be less well-known amongst magicians,
namely his excellent $100 Card in Wallet. Some of these items have appeared
previously in other books, journals, and/or lecture notes. But anyone who already owns
any of those previous descriptions should in no way be dissuaded from purchasing this
complete and newly detailed collection. Although many readers will be attracted by the
inclusion of Mr. Gertner's signature routines, I daresay the greatest value of this book
may lie elsewhere in its contents. That is by no means a critique or even an expression of
any disappointment with the best known material. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to
discover that there were a few noteworthy lessons to be gleaned from studying material
that I would hardly consider doing, such as his contest act material. Despite the fact that
I find it hard to imagine myself or any magician, especially one working the corporate
market, attempting to utilize material such as the Steel Balls and Cups that is so
strongly identified with Mr. Gertner, or the Ring on Hourglass which requires extreme
measures of both preparation and performance context in order to achieve the desired
result, nevertheless the commentary that "Paul Adds" to this material is extremely revealing
and thought-provoking, when one considers the degree of planning and psychology that
was crucial to the success of this act. One is left without a shred of doubt—not that there
ever was any to begin with—that Mr. Gertner's contest victories were not in any way the
result of an all too common fluke of politics or impaired judgement, but rather that he is
one of the most deserving of such winners in the history of magic competition.
Whatever benefit a reader may elicit from the description of this signature material—or
of such seminal routines as Mr. Gertner's original Reverse Assembly, for which there are
now superior methods extant, yet the original is well worth reading when one considers
the historical context in which it first appeared—I was particularly enthused by the
material with which I was least familiar. The coin section features (but is not limited to)
a wide variety of applications for the Flick, also known in some circles as the Kick Move,
a technique which a number of magicians independently devised, and which was
extremely popular as session fodder in the 1970s and early '80s. Mr. Gertner also
provides some applications for this technique as used with playing cards, along with
some equally thoughtful ideas on "propelled lapping" which will certainly intrigue any
fan of the late Rick Johnsson's book, Practical Impossibilities. While much of this
material is constraining in its conditions— you must be seated, for example, which is
often impractical in commercial settings—nevertheless Mr. Gertner provides a host of
variations and applications which offer considerable food for thought and
experimentation. Some of this material is downright hard to do; you may find yourself
with the sense that you have run out of places in which to simultaneously palm coins.
But this should also not deter any potential reader, because while some of Mr. Gertner's
material is quite demanding technically, there is also much that depends far more upon
sound management, construction, and misdirection, than it does upon knuckle-busting
sleights. There's something here for most everyone.
Which in fact brings me to two of my favorite features of this book. The first is that Mr.
Gertner never plays coy with the reader as to the practicality of the material. I, for one,
have absolutely no objection to including "magic for magicians" in a book of conjuring
material. While I might not be personally inclined to use much of such material, it can
often be thought provoking, and can lead to other, wider applications. But while a
seasoned professional might possess a sufficiently developed personal sieve with which
to sift the practical wheat from the "sessioner's" chaff, a less experienced student might
well be confused and less capable of making those judgments. It is to Messrs. Gertner
and Kaufman's credit that they are willing to provide the reader with much sound advice
in this regard, quite useful in a book that contains such a wealth of material; some of
which will appeal more to the public, some of which will appeal more to magicians, and
much of which will appeal to both—no small accomplishment in itself.
My other favorite feature of this book is the wealth of practical advice, the kind of advice
that can only come from decades of professional experience. For example, in the course
of a terrific Coins Across routine entitled A Familiar Ring, a routine with great audience
(dare I say, commercial) appeal, sound handling and an intriguing plot innovation, Mr.
Gertner offers advice concerning the need to borrow a woman's finger ring. Cautioning
that you should be careful not to embarrass someone who may have difficulty removing a
ring, the author advises you to "Look for, preferably, a woman with thin fingers who is
wearing some sort of decorative ring other than an engagement or wedding ring." He
adds that if, even with these precautions, the spectator begins to have difficult removing
the ring, "Paul immediately creates a sympathetic situation by twisting his ring and
saying, 'Mine's a little tight, too, but I think I can get it off. Okay—let's use my ring." This
is truly priceless information from a master professional, and there are many similar
examples throughout the book.
Other material of note—and this is by no means a complete list—includes a dice stacking
routine with a novel plot addition; a different approach to an impromptu Card Stab
(that could easily be combined with some of John Carney's excellent cocktail napkin
trilogy from Carneycopia by Stephen Minch); a cup and ball routine using a ceramic
mug and a tea bag (previously published in an old set of Mr. Gertner's lecture notes), in
which a mound of loose tea is produced at the climax; a pair of excellent versions of the
noted Fred Kaps trick wherein a signed, folded card appears in an impossible location
(in these instances, the card appears in a small gift box of chocolate, and in an aspirin
tin; this latter version involves a transposition of the aspirin tablets between the tin and
the card box, related to some of Scotty York's well-known work, as well as variants by
John Bannon and others); and a wonderful opening card sequence, prosaically entitled
"Paul's Opener," which could well become a staple in the repertoire of any working
magician capable of handling the technical requirements.
Throughout, Mr. Gertner's attention to detail is sublime and inspirational; as when, for
example, he uses a folded blankfaced card as a duplicate in the aforementioned Kaps
variations, to prevent any chance of the spectator catching a glimpse of a conflicting face
color. Such relentless focus, coupled with an unerring grip on the goal of surprising and
impenetrable final effects, makes for a potent and impactful combination. And while on
the subject of details, Mr. Kaufman's attention to credits are, as ever, of interest to any
student of the historical record. The crediting (first noted by John Moehring) of the
Spider Grip Vanish to Walter Gibson is a noteworthy footnote to the published record.
Equally fascinating, if perhaps for different reasons, is that while Mr. Kaufman has
previously reported an accurate account of the evolution of the Dick Washington/Paul
LePaul Wallet (see his Uncanny Scott, 1987), he seems to have now returned to the
interesting nomenclature of the "LePaul/Jennings Wallet." I eagerly anticipate the next
installment in this continuing credit adventure.
I haven't a single complaint sufficient to prevent me from encouraging anyone with the
slightest interest in close-up magic to purchase and study this book. There is the
occasional error; for example, on page 98 the reader is instructed to contact the "outer
right corner" of the card, while the accompanying illustration clarifies that this should in
fact have read the "outer left corner." Nevertheless, it seems that this manuscript was
reasonably well proofread, an effort that is certainly appreciated by this reader. The one
caution I would offer is that this is not a book for the beginner. I do believe that any
magician will gain valuable insight and inspiration from this book, and so I would not
discourage a relatively inexperienced student from purchasing it—this is not merely
high-tech sleight of hand that is of interest solely to the devotedly obscure. Rather, the
book assumes, as Mr. Carson points out in the Foreword, that the reader already has knowledge
of a number of common but not unsophisticated techniques, such as the Side
Steal, the Vernon Double Under-Cut, the Classic Pass (never required but referred to in
several places), the Mercury Card Fold and the One-Hand Top Palm. Please note that
this is a caution, but not a complaint. Although I realize that we always seem to hear
protests from those who complain when every sleight is not detailed in full, I, for one,
have no desire for my library to contain fifty (perhaps inferior) descriptions of the same
sleight. So while I think Mr. Kaufman's choices in this regard are reasonable, I think it
might have also been useful to have included a somewhat more complete set of
references, either in footnote form, or in an appendix. That is, it is perfectly acceptable
to choose not to re-describe such sleights, but considering that younger, inexperienced
magicians, who not only do not know these sleights but may not even know where to
find them, may well buy this book, it might have been considerate to have provided
them with at least one standard source for each sleight mentioned. In this way, they may
have been better able to avoid having to drag a list of sleights down to the local magic
club or retailer in a frustrating attempt to locate original descriptions.
Also not included are Mr. Gertner's insights into the Classic Force, which he released in
1980 in a superb but little-known ten-page manuscript. While he is of course by no
means obligated to include such material here, this book seems to cry out for further
information, given the dependency of routines such as "Paul's Opener" on the Classic
Force, and in light of both his considerable proficiency with this technique along with
the fact of his having previously published on the very subject. All of this seems to reflect
a desire to maintain brevity in technical explication; similarly as when the reader is
repeatedly instructed to quickly obtain breaks under three or four cards, without a so
much as a clue as to Mr. Gertner's technique for doing so. One wonders if the phrase
"Pinky Count" has been somehow banished from Mr. Kaufman's vocabulary, despite his
otherwise apparent affection for the word "pinky" over the perhaps more genteel "fourth
finger."
These quibbles aside, my only other complaint is one that I would first pronounce as
utterly unfair: namely that the material is so accessible, so tested, so refined and
perfected, that the greatest danger to the student is that he or she may be far too
tempted to use this material exactly as it is written, instead of as ore from which to mine
and polish one's own eventual gems. This is certainly nothing to take Mr. Gertner to task
for. Rather it is a caution: that just because Mr. Gertner has worked out all the kinks for
you, does not mean that you should not find some kinks of your own to create and
eventually work through for yourself. In this way I would encourage students to use this
invaluable trove of material as a means to involve themselves in their own creative
process, rather than simply resting with the final results of someone else's process. You
could not do better by starting with a book such as Steel and Silver, but you could do
much worse if you do not go further for yourself. Nevertheless I envy the intermediate
student who finds this book at a critical juncture in his or her development as a
conjuror. Each of us has a book or two in our personal histories that comes along at just
the right moment, as we are developing a true sense of our abilities, of our philosophies,
and of our repertoire. The book or books that help crystallize these moments in our
personal evolutions forever retain a certain kind of mystique within our emotional and
intellectual psyches. On the lives of magicians who find their own creative work reaching
the boiling point within the crucible that is this book, Steel and Silver will no doubt
leave a truly indelible mark.
This seems the perfect opportunity to briefly correct an historical error for which I am
partially responsible, and which unfortunately has been perpetrated (through no fault of
Messrs. Gertner and Kaufman) in Steel and Silver. Briefly: In 1988 I wrote a monograph
entitled A Rumor in Their Own Time; A close-up collaboration by Scotty York and Jamy
Ian Swiss. Included in that booklet, of which only 200 copies were produced, was the
first published version of Mr. York's "Signed Card in Pocket Watch." In the course of my
rather scrupulous attempt at historical crediting, I recounted therein the story, as
related to me by both Mr. York and Bill Wells, of the evolution of the method of the
Card in Ring Box as performed and popularized by Fred Kaps; namely that the
fundamentals of the method, that is, a duplicate, folded card fixed within the confines of
the Ring Box (or other container), was given to Mr. Kaps by the German magician Bruno
Hennig, also the creator of the Floating Cork, to which Scotty York contributed the
addition of the length of thread, which allows the duplicate freedom of movement prior
to the switch. (My apologies if this seems obscure, but this will be clear to those already
familiar with the method.)
This history has since been cited by a number of authors, including Mr. Kaufman.
However, during a subsequent lecture tour of Europe, I had occasion to meet an
associate of Mr. Hennig, who relayed to me that Mr. Hennig firmly denies any claim to
this method. Messrs. Wells and York, from whom I obtained the original accounting,
have since offered that they distinctly recall that Mr. Kaps did credit another magician of
German origin, and that they must have mistakenly assumed this to be Mr. Hennig,
given his previous association with Mr. Kaps. Further investigation with other associates
of Mr. Kaps has failed to reveal any substantive details. The method must remain
identified with Mr. Kaps unless or until further information surfaces. The complete
history has now been provided in a recent limited manuscript on Mr. York's "Signed
Card/Marked Coin to Pocket Watch," and will soon appear in future editions of his
book, For Your Eyes Only. Mea Culpa.*
"I never want to leave an audience merely puzzled when it's possible to leave them stunned and shocked..." Paul Gertner, in Steel and Silver.
*This "corrected" history was my latest information at the time, however it was eventually discredited when I made direct contact with Mr. Hennig who did indeed assume credit for the principle, as I consistently reflected in my later writings. [JIS]
