Minch, Stephen: The New York Magic Symposium Collection Five ©1986 by Symposium Productions and Adam J. Fleischer Illustrated by Chris Kenner. Japanese Section Written by Phil Goldstein Approx 140 pages, Hardcover

Comments: There are 6 volumes in the NY Magic Symposisum collection. The books include material submitted by participants in the symposium, held in the 1980's. Although most of the material is close up magic, there are a few stage and parlor type items. While there are contributions from some of the best in magic, the contributions in most cases don't represent the cream of the crop. In my view, the later volumes seem to have higher quality material than the earlier volumes, but admitedly, I have not gone through each effect in detail. Each volume has some good material, though, and represents an interesting look at magic in the 80's. The last volume was to be Collection #6, but instead was published as Spectacle, by Stephen Minch.

Symposium 5 was held in Tokyo, so this volume features special performances by Japanese performers. This collection is written in two columns, left half English, right half in Japanese, and contains some very good material.

Contents:

9 Part 1: The 1986 Symposium Performers
10 Introduction (Eugene Burger): A conversation at the airport between a magician and a teacher (on learning and discipline)
15 The Multi Colored Pen (Daryl): a pen can write any color. Spectator signs initials to show first color on a card. Next, other colors are written, such as Red, Blue,and Yellow. Spectator is not impressed. Card is removed from packet, and the words are now written in the color spelled! Out to Lunch principle
18 Risen From the Ashes (Daryl): Three cards thought of in shuffled deck. Deck cut and dealt through, and the thought of selections have vanished. When each is spelled, cards are found reversed at the end of its name
24 Sawa (Crash Dice): a die is squashe between two plastic sheets, leaving only a squashed image of the die.
27 Transparent Lies (Richard Kaufman): card is chosen, returned, and deck cased, yet magician tells the card. This is repeated. Magician shows method: a hole cut in the case to show bottom card. Effect is repeated once more, but case is handled so as not to see. Magician names card, and now shows the case is whole. When deck is removed, card is found in middle of deck
33 Haley's Comet (Michael Ammar): lighter is shown and lit. A ball of fire is tossed to the ground like a ball, and when it bounces up, becomes a ball. On the third bounce, it vanishes, as does the lighter. Uses topit.
37 Deja ReVurse (Tommy Wonder): 2 cads selected & returned. Deck is waved and one card appears reversed. Attempts to get the 2nd card to turn fail as 1st keeps turning over instead. 1st card is torn up in frustration. Deck is waved and spread again, to find 1st card again turned up, and torn card turned into 2nd card!
46 The Bloom vs. Kulagina Match (Gaetan Bloom): matchbox is borrowed and the matches poured on the table. Matches are replaced in the drawer and the magician makes a fist above the box. Suddenly the matches twitch and burst forth from the box. All can be examined.
50 Stife in Eden (Scott Cervine): a stage performance. Magician enters with a cane and statches at the air, finding a scarf. Scarf is passed over the cane, and splits it in two!
53 Canned Applause (Jay Sankey): a running gag item. After each effect, the magician collects "applause" from the audience to get canned applause. Near the end, the magician explains and opens the can a bit: some applause can actually be heard. He finally admits that he isn't really collecting applause, but has a hand, as he pours a bunch of little hands from the can.
56 Once is Never Enough (Jay Sankey): Two Jokers are paper cliped face to face. Two cards are seleced, signed, and held by spectators. A 5th card is used to move the Jokers, but when they are peeled apart, are found to be the selections. The Spectators hold the jokers!
63 PSI Con Ruse (Phil Goldstein): Spectator shuffles cards, and trades them for a sealed envelope taken from a book. Top 5 cards of the deck are removed and inserted around the book. Spectator indicates any of the cards, and reads the prediction: it matches the selected card.
68 Gone But Not Forgotten (David Roth): English Penny and half are dropped into other hand. Half disappears, but a dime is found instead
70 Spending Spree (Ben Harris): A borrowed credit card moves from the center to the top and back to the middle of the deck of cards. Two cards are selected and lost, and the credit card pushed into the deck, finding the two selections. Card is placed on top of the deck, where it vanishes to be found back between the selections
76 Subsequent Smoker (Jeff McBride): Impromptu magic. The performer looks for his last cigarette, but finds the pack is empty and crumples it. A thought occurs, and the pack is uncrumpled, and a whole, fine condition cigarette is removed
78 Beauty Enfolded (Jonathan Pendragon): Stage Illusion. The performer approaches a 1 foot high lighted platfom alone, casts his cape open and wraps it arouond himself. When dropped, the magician is joined by his assistant

81 Part 2 Special Japanese Section (by Phil Goldstein, Illustrated by Ton)
82 Diagonal Slide (Tooru Suzui): an index card is shown, and one corner marked by cutting one corner off. This corner has a hole punched in it. The hole is slid to the opposite corner of the card. The hole is clearly shown to be a hole.
84 Four Tell On Dice (Shigeo Futagawa): Four custom made long dice used as a number force
85 Upon Reflection (Shigeo Futagawa): Five cards shown, one put aside. Remaining cards have magician's props listed on them, and spectator chooses one. When prediction is shown, it has a mylar mirror to show the "same" prediction. As a clicher, however, it is found that only the selected card shows up "correct" when reflected in the mirror!
86 3D Reflection (Shigeo Futagawa): expanded version of above. After the dice card is shown above, three other cards that the magician was holding are shown. Mounted on each is an actual 3D dice, each larger that the last!
89 Kirigami Rings (Isao Komine): Paper folding routine: checkerboard design is cut and unfolded, to reveal two square rings linked together!
90 Fair Exchange (Masao Atsukawa): Two puzzles shown, magician and spectator race to complete their playing card puzzle. The pieces are turned face up, and the puzzle attempted again, but the last piece won't fit. The players must exchange pieces to complete the puzzle!
92 Triple Knockout Spellbound (Yoshihiko Mutobe): a difficult spellbound coin routine with a half dollar to Chinese coin to British Penny transformation (uses C/S coin)
96 The Mutobe Palm (Yoshihiko Mutobe): alternative coin palm that allows free view of the thumb from the back
97 The Mutobe Vanish (Yoshihiko Mutobe): retention vanish makes use of above palm
99 Takagi Thumb Tie (Shigeo Takagi): the thumbs are securely tied together with strong cord, yet the magician is able to penetrate a stick or a solid linking ring (both explained)

107 Part 3 Special Guest Contributors
108 The Sidewinder Pretzel (Ray Kosby): a straight stick pretzel is bent while in the hands, and is finally twisted into a normal, tiny pretzel
113 Orient Express (Larry Jennings): half and Chinese coin transposition (shell). Clean and smooth routine
118 Pendu (Deane Stern): finger ring is tossed toward a cord and visibly links onto it. No duplicates, but not a borrowed ring
121 Friends & Lovers (Gary Lee Williams): Mentalist draws two hearts on pieces of paper. Spectator is to write the name of one half of a famous romantic couple in each heart, and does not tell anyone. Three more hearts are drawn, and three other spectators write names of non-romantic persons. All the papers are mixed, with the exception of one of the pairs, which insted is torn to pieces. The performer has the papers lined up, and discerns the other half of the pair by use of a pendulum and is able to identify the party without seeing the paper. Impromptu!
127 Spellbound Ring Change (David Gripenwaldt): a borrowed ring is threaded onto a cord, and in a flash changes into another ring!
131 Short Sheeted (Paul Cummings): In the use of 4 $10 and 2 $5 bills, the spectator is sharply shorted of $20. Pure sleight of hand, no gimmicked bills
134 Down the Falls, Up the Back (Pat Hazell): While springing the cards from hand to hand, performer increases the stunt by doing it behind his back. While the sound of the cards springing from hand to hand down and then back up is convincing, the audience can't see it, so the performer offers to turn around, but now "springs" the cards in front. This is more of an auditory gag.
136 Delaye Reaction (Roger Klause): a old coin is tossed from hand to hand. However, because it is old, it doesn't go immediately, but there is a pause before it finishes the toss! (Muscle pass)
.138 Ambitions in Bondage (Rick Anderson): as a climax to an Ambitious card routine, the deck is wrapped up with rope. The card is clearly inserted into the middle of the deck, yet still rises to the top