Talk About Tricks: The Complete File By Joshua Jay

12 years. 144 columns. 868 tricks.

For the first time ever, Joshua Jay’s beloved “Talk About Tricks” column from MAGIC Magazine has been compiled into a gorgeous, comprehensive two-book collectors’ set.

“Talk About Tricks” was a groundbreaking column that captivated magicians around the world for more than a decade. Every month, magicians would run to their mailbox to learn the latest and greatest effects from some of the world’s best magicians in the world like David Williamson, Lance Burton, Paul Harris, Jay Sankey, Pit Hartling, Darwin Ortiz, Jeff McBride, and others.

This column was also the launching pad for some of your favorite magicians like Daniel Garcia, Calen Morelli, Harapan Ong, Paul Vigil, and Asi Wind. As Danny Garcia put it, “Talk About Tricks” was “THE spot to have magic published” during its run. Which is why these up-and-coming stars could be found featured alongside magic legends like Martin Gardner, Brother John Hamman, and Larry Jennings.

Close-up magic has experienced many different revolutions over the years, and many of them can trace roots back to this column. Like the visual magic renaissance spearheaded by Calen Morelli, who first shared his magic in “Talk About Tricks” and had this to say about the column: “Joshua Jay made ‘Talk About Tricks’ a place for new talent and cutting-edge ideas. Josh has dedicated his life to help advance magic and this set is filled with some great ideas.”

“I honestly cannot think of a magic column that has done more for today’s young generation of magic creators than Joshua Jay’s ‘Talk About Tricks’ column. It was a vibrant creative hub for magicians to publish their original material for the magic community, and so many of your favorite magic creators have literally started their publishing journey in ‘Talk About Tricks’. Thank you Josh for collating all 868 tricks in this monster set of books—it truly is a goldmine of priceless information to be treasured for generations to come.”Harapan Ong

This complete collection of two absolutely stunning hardcover books is being offered in collaboration with MAGIC Magazine. Within the pages of these volumes, you’ll find every single trick from the column accompanied by crystal-clear photos printed on exceptional quality, low-gloss paper. The books themselves are wrapped in a translucent dust jacket that changes the color of the cover when removed. They come packaged in a bespoke, clothbound slipcase that you’ll display proudly on your bookshelf.

Talk About Tricks: The Complete File is a definitive collection of close-up magic that offers something for truly every magician. While there are, of course, card magic tricks and coin tricks, you’ll also find innovative magic tricks with everything from pens to pets, Christmas trees, and pretty much any other object you could find in your house.

Magicians of all skill levels can enjoy these books too because of the trailblazing format “Talk About Tricks” introduced. Prior to the start of this column, magicians would often waste time reading through a trick only to find out halfway through that it exceeds their skill level. The “Talk About Tricks” column instituted a visual guide that allows you, at a glance, to see how easy or difficult a magic trick is.

The scope of these books can be a bit overwhelming at first. They will definitely keep you busy for a very long time. Yet, we also would never expect any magician to learn and practice nearly 870 different magic tricks. The true value of Talk about Tricks: The Complete File goes beyond just new magic tricks as Joshua Jay very literally “talked about tricks” with the creators, diving into their creative process to understand the decisions that went into developing each effect. As the incomparable Rune Klan put it: “‘Talk About Tricks’ is a mountain of inspiration. It was my favorite trick column.”

There is also a special section called “Expertalk” where expert magicians share their insights or tweaks to existing moves or tricks. This is a true goldmine featuring discussions like David Williamson diving into the top change, Gary Plants exploring the bottom deal and Ken Krenzel tipping his work on the mechanical reverse. It’s like getting an expert lesson on every major sleight of hand move in magic.

Joshua Jay dedicated a substantial part of his life into crafting this column. It is a treasure trove of information that is worthy of study from any serious student of magic. Asi Wind, who first published “Time is Money” in the column, calls this two-book set an “Astounding collection of magic. A set you’ll be studying for years.”

“Weighing in at 144 monthly installments, “Talk About Tricks” was clearly the longest-running column in the magazine. It was also one of the most popular ones, partially because of the big-name talent Josh brought to the publication. Lance Burton, Harry Lorayne, Paul Harris, Phil Goldstein, Jay Sankey, and David Williamson — and that was just in his first column! Just as important, and possibly more important, was Josh’s knack for introducing us to new talent, talent destined to become big names in our field! Over the years, I’ve lost count of the number of well-known magicians who have told me that for them it all started by being in the pages of “Talk About Tricks!” That’s quite a legacy.Stan Allen, Founder and Editor of MAGIC Magazine

These books are available in limited quantities. Grab your copy of Talk About Tricks: The Complete File today!

Volume 1: 728 pages Volume 2: 612 pages