Devious Standards is the second essay collection from Jamy Ian Swiss, and it contains twenty of the most acclaimed essays from one of magic's most distinguished and celebrated authors. When it was first published, Devious Standards received rave reviews in Magic, Genii, and Linking Ring, and it continues to garner praise from magic's brightest lights. Vanishing Inc. Magic is proud to offer Devious Standards in a new edition, with brand-new typeset, layout, and cover design. This volume now matches Shattering Illusions and the brand-new Preserving Mystery in size and style.
Upon its release, Eric Mead praised Devious Standards in Genii magazine, declaring that, "The finished book is as beautiful as it is challenging, informative, stimulating and a genuine pleasure to read."
Some highlights from Devious Standards include:
"The Method Is Not the Trick," "Discovering Importance," and "Empathy," as well as tributes to Billy McComb, Bob Read, and Martin Nash. The book also includes "A Dissertation on the Double Lift," Jamy's thoughtful approach to this essential move, and a roadmap to improving your own double lift. "The JS Rules of Magic" is a satire on the rules we follow in magic, and how to break them. And "The Last Layman," one of Jamy's most beautiful essays, is a cautionary, artistic parable about the future of magic.
Praise for Devious Standards:
"Calling Devious Standards a book on magical performance theory is hard, because what Jamy Ian Swiss writes in its pages is based on real, tested, workable concepts and strategies. Great books on the subject have been written by Dariel Fitzkee, Henning Nelms, Darwin Ortiz, and Ken Weber, all of which fail to impact a performance the way Devious Standards is bound to... The title is perfect, because if you take what Swiss lays out for you in its pages and make his suggestions standard operating procedure every time you are building a new routine or show, your magic will be better, stronger, and more enjoyable for your audiences... Books like Devious Standards are, to coin a phrase, 'six month books.' Every six months they are worth revisiting-not because you've forgotten the information inside, but as a personal reminder of the things you should be doing with your magic but never quite get around to... Whether you are a strolling performer or a stage illusionist, reading Devious Standards will help raise your magic and performance to a new level, a huge bargain. Highly recommended." - Farrell Dillon, MAGIC
"I regard Swiss as a cross between Tom Bowyer, the witty, insightful but often acerbic critic in the early days of The Linking Ring, and S.H. Sharpe, the British magic essayist and polemicist. Swiss surpasses Bowyer and Sharpe, however, with the quality of his ideas, his ability as a performer and his gift as a writer... collectors and magic historians should consider reading this work to learn about four modern masters who are no longer with us... [in] profiles and appreciations of the post-Houdini, post-Cardini, post-Vernon world of magic. They reminded me of Maurice Zolotow's profile of Cardini that appeared originally in The Saturday Evening Post. The difference is that Swiss's are more insightful because he had a better understanding of the work involved than Zolotow did of Cardini, and he knew his subjects on a more personal level." - David Ben, Magicol
"Will set you on a road to ponder your own magic, and the way in which you perform it, and make you a better magician because of it. I highly recommend it." - Matthew Field, The Magic Circular
"Jamy Ian Swiss takes himself seriously, and I am sure he wants us to take him seriously. But for all the serious work that he put into Devious Standards, his latest book of opinion, scholarship, and reminiscences, the main thing that I take away from it is that this book is just plain fun to read. It's hard to wipe the smile off my face... 'The Last Layman' is a satire worthy of Jonathan Swift in which only one layman is left on the planet." - Steve Bryant, Little Egypt Gazette
"Mr. Swiss is an astute observer of character, a passionate lover of good magic, and the kind of friend that good people value... The finished book is as beautiful as it is challenging, informative, stimulating and a genuine pleasure to read." - Eric Mead, Genii
Preserving Mystery After nearly a decade, magic's most influential and persuasive voice returns to the printed page, in the highly-anticipated Preserving Mystery. This 250-page volume is a collection of 18 thought-provoking essays about the art, craft, and history of magic that is likely to stimulate, inform, excite, entertain, and perhaps occasionally enrage any serious magician. In essays including "Gaffs versus Skill," Jamy examines the costs and benefits of each, and how to choose which method to rely on. In "What Works," Jamy considers the role of venue, audience expectations, and how respect for the audience produces better work. He memorializes legends Michael Skinner, Imam, Al Flosso and more in a special chapter of essays called "Yesterdays," including original sleights and tricks by mentors Michael Skinner and Earl "Presto" Johnson. In "Dichotomies," he offers a clear and useful analysis of the oft-argued distinctions between mentalism and mental magic. And in "Hacked to Death,"-one of several entirely new essays written just for Preserving Mystery-Swiss explores the nature of originality in magic.
Jamy Ian Swiss is many things to many people: acclaimed performer, esteemed lecturer, outspoken critic, erudite historian, pioneering skeptic. But he is, above all, one of magic's most important voices-a lifelong advocate for the art. As a book reviewer and feature writer for Genii magazine for 18 years, and now a reviewer and blogger in the Lyons Den at magicana.com, Mr. Swiss has long provided readers with a steady fire hose of insight, provocation, and humor, and while his critiques are occasionally scathing, they are invariably earnest. In Preserving Mystery, Swiss turns his focus to the performance of magic, and how to improve and elevate the art and its artists.
Reading Swiss's work, we find ourselves pushing past the tradition-bound assumptions of our field to new and ever-higher terrain. He carries the finely-honed sensibilities of past masters into present day relevance, and with wit and personality, presents us with a guided path to enlightened performance.
Preserving Mystery includes an introduction by New Yorker contributor and best-selling author Adam Gopnik, and explores topics including:
"Making Introductions": A rumination on how we learn, the value of books and videos, and where the magic industry leads magicians astray.
"Suiting Repertoire": Swiss explores the hidden value in laying a broad, sturdy foundation in your study of close-up magic, and how, precisely, to find the right move or trick for the right occasion.
"The French Drop": In an unexpected turn, Mr. Swiss thoroughly dissects and describes (including illustrations) the hackneyed French Drop, providing valuable lessons not only for this sleight, but in how to approach every facet of your magic.
"SSSS: The Swiss Sleight Study System": This, perhaps the most utilitarian essay in Preserving Mystery, is a roadmap on how to learn sleight-of-hand magic with cards and coins.
"Preserving Mystery": In the most personal essay in this collection, Swiss reflects on his own path to magic, and then zooms out to ponder how all of us might deepen the magical experience.
270 pages, hardbound with gold foil engraving.
With 2001's Shattering Illusions, Jamy Ian Swiss cemented his role as magic's preeminent essayist. Perhaps no book ever written on the subject of magic has been so controversial and debated as Shattering Illusions, and it remains relevant and topical today. This book is a neo-classic and worthy of careful study.
Long out of print and on virtually every "must-read" magic list since its first printing, Shattering Illusions is finally available again, in a brand-new edition that features a new cover design and layout.
Shattering Illusions contains twenty essays that will reshape the way you think about magic. Jamy Ian Swiss examines why we do magic at all, what it means to be "commercial" in magic, what makes for good and bad magic, why critics and the public hold magic in such low regard, and much more.
Praise for Shattering Illusions:
"Jamy Ian Swiss is an esteemed colleague, a terrific performer, and someone who cares very deeply about the art of magic... For Mr. Swiss, complacency is not an option... Shattering Illusions contains no tricks, but it contains many of the real secrets of successful magic... Shattering Illusions is an important book. Buy it. Study it. Think about it. You'll be a better magician for having done so." - Michael Close, MAGIC, November 2002
"Splendidly written... At their best, these essays remind us of the wonderful, the fleeting, the transcendent feelings we've had while experiencing the performance of a magic effect, and give us reason to pause and reconsider our own objectives... This is an entertaining, illuminating and provocative collection by a man who possesses a profound affection for magic. Every generation seems to produce a few voices that shout from the wilderness, waking us from our complacency, pointing out alternative paths and cajoling us to do better. Jamy Ian Swiss will certainly be remembered as one of those voices." - David Regal, Genii, December 2002
"I honestly don't know of a single person in magic and/or mentalism that would not be healthier after a good dose of this book... In one of my favorite chapters ('Mentalism Grows Up'), Mr. Swiss writes about mentalism. But how can this be? After all, I have heard for years that Jamy Ian Swiss despises mentalism. Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that is simply not the case. (Although he has told me that he hates bad mentalism, and who can argue with that?) The views that he expresses are very well thought out, and they could help raise mentalism to the level of true artistry, but only if it divorces itself from the backroom charlatans... In my opinion, all of Shattering Illusions is in the "must-read" category, but I believe that the final two chapters are truly definitive... People often discuss what books they would want with them if they were stranded on a deserted island. In the case of Shattering Illusions, I will pack two copies in case one gets damaged." - Rick Maue, Voices (Deceptions Unlimited), December 2002
"This is an important book, one that should be read and reread by everyone thinking him or herself a magician." - Phil Willmarth, Linking Ring, December 2002
"Swiss is currently best known in the magic community for his 'no holds barred' book reviews in Genii. Although there are many who disagree with this or that comment he might make, few would challenge his abilities as a wordsmith. His writing ability, combined with his great passion, commitment, and integrity, make for compelling reading... Although no tricks are taught, these essays are not entirely theoretical. For example, his 'Good Trick, Bad Trick' is a useful system for analyzing performance material for its commercial potential. There is a history of bar magic, tributes to Goshman, Vernon and Slydini, autobiographical pieces and a constant grappling with ethical issues, ranging from intellectual property to exposure to the performance of mentalism. It is impossible to read this book without thinking, which is a very good thing indeed." - H&R Magic Books, December 2002
"This is a book about 'magic!' No, not tricks. This book is REALLY ABOUT MAGIC! What it is, what it could be, used to be, should be, will be, may never be, etc... I can guarantee that you can turn to almost any paragraph on any page of this book and there is something there that will make you think about your magic, or just magic in general. It will create a spark in your mind that just might be the key to a better approach to your magic. This book is REAL... I really think that Jamy has gone far beyond expectations with these writings. I will go so far as to put this on my bookshelf with Fitzkee, Maskelyne & Devant, Nelms, Sharpe, Wonder and other 'important' works. If magic is truly in your 'soul,' then this book MUST be read, not once, but many times." - Denny Haney, Denny & Lee Magic Studio
"A must have. End of story. Will benefit the professional and amateur alike. This stuff, like fine wine, is to be sipped and appreciated. It's not for everyone, but then again neither is magic. One of the very few books by someone qualified to write a book, not some new jack on the block. Jamy Ian Swiss knows what he is talking about." - David Malek, Earth's Largest Magic Shop
"Be prepared to have your thinking on magic challenged by one of magic's finest wordsmiths and deepest thinkers. Jamy Ian Swiss is a performer, writer, lecturer, and TV magician who knows a bit about magic. His reviews in Genii have truly lifted the bar when it comes to product review and his 'speak your mind with thought and justification' style has ensured readers open those pages first each month. The first essay in this book, 'Why Magic Sucks,' may get your back up, but calm down and re-read and you will see where he is coming from." - Taylor's Magic Shop, Australia
