Mark Twain writes at the end of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer:
Passing On the Magic
Somber prose for those of us past the amorphous line between boy and man.
The Washington Post featured an article on some young magicians for whom the luster of the art is fading. It begins with recollections of a train trip back from magic camp last summer and ends with teenage magicians now finding interests other than magic.
Nathan Lefkowits of Columbia provides the recollection of the train ride home from magic camp. He recalled for the author the bewildered stares of the other passengers as the boys and girls boarded with doves, color-changing handkerchiefs, and cards from nowhere.
“The reality is that the life of a real, young magician is much more prosaic than that of Harry Potter and his wand-wielding crew.”
The reporter joined Mr. Lefkowits around his kitchen table to view some of his collection:
There were topsy-turvy bottles as well as a squared circle and change bag, which are used to make things disappear. He had a book titled “Prethoughts — Mentalism” and another by legendary magician Harry Houdini. Also on the table was a DVD called “The Self-Levitation Video,” which Lefkowits dismissed as not worth the effort.
The young magician learned to love the art during an after-school program in elementary school. He found the Harry Potter books, began to practice, and meet up with other young magicians in the appropriately-named Society of Young Magicians.
Mr. Lefkowits moved on to purchase effects, enter contests, and then performing for birthday parties at a healthy $30.00 per half-hour show. It was intoxicating for the young man. “I get completely lost in it. I don’t even think while I’m doing it.”
Mr. Lefkowits now uses the hours formerly devoted to practice to perfect his driving skills, pack and listen to his iPod, and studying. “It seems that for ordinary Muggles, magic loses its luster when you don’t need it to fend off an evil wizard who obliterated your family.”
Mark Twain writes at the end of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer:Passing On the Magic
Somber prose for those of us past the amorphous line between boy and man.
The Washington Post featured an article on some young magicians for whom the luster of the art is fading. It begins with recollections of a train trip back from magic camp last summer and ends with teenage magicians now finding interests other than magic.
Nathan Lefkowits of Columbia provides the recollection of the train ride home from magic camp. He recalled for the author the bewildered stares of the other passengers as the boys and girls boarded with doves, color-changing handkerchiefs, and cards from nowhere.
“The reality is that the life of a real, young magician is much more prosaic than that of Harry Potter and his wand-wielding crew.”
The reporter joined Mr. Lefkowits around his kitchen table to view some of his collection:
There were topsy-turvy bottles as well as a squared circle and change bag, which are used to make things disappear. He had a book titled “Prethoughts — Mentalism” and another by legendary magician Harry Houdini. Also on the table was a DVD called “The Self-Levitation Video,” which Lefkowits dismissed as not worth the effort.
The young magician learned to love the art during an after-school program in elementary school. He found the Harry Potter books, began to practice, and meet up with other young magicians in the appropriately-named Society of Young Magicians.
Mr. Lefkowits moved on to purchase effects, enter contests, and then performing for birthday parties at a healthy $30.00 per half-hour show. It was intoxicating for the young man. “I get completely lost in it. I don’t even think while I’m doing it.”
Mr. Lefkowits now uses the hours formerly devoted to practice to perfect his driving skills, pack and listen to his iPod, and studying. “It seems that for ordinary Muggles, magic loses its luster when you don’t need it to fend off an evil wizard who obliterated your family.”
