talkmagic.co.uk

Don't worry. I am not going to review my own book. I am merely going to reprint a review by Andrew Pinard in this months Magicol which is strictly a magazine for collectors and thus has a very low circulation. Since I suspect hardly anyone here is a subscriber I shall let you see what it says here and now. Incidentally, I believe another review is coming up in the January Magic Magazine but I haven't seen it and have no idea who reviewed it or whether it is positive or negative. Anyway here is the Pinard review.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Lives of a Showman, Mark Lewis. Published by Mark Lewis Entertainment, 2011. 302 (not including 20 frontmatter) pages. Hard-bound, color dust-jacket. $40. Available from your local magic shop or from the author directly at marklewisentertainment.com.

There are two sides to every coin.

If you frequent online magic discussion forums, you may have experienced the acerbic wit and pretentious ramblings of a self-professed expert at everything who has gone by many, many online handles all ultimately revealed as Mark Lewis. Online, he appears to revel in self-aggrandizement and picking relentlessly at topics (and posters) that offend him. While outwardly pompous, he appears to take great glee at targeting those who set themselves up as experts (and don’t bow down to his “superior” knowledge). With Puckish zeal, he sets up intellectual and emotional landmines and then steps backs to enjoy the carnage by those foolish enough to step on them. Whether this is altruistic or deeply malicious may depend on whether you got caught in the shrapnel.

Another side of this coin can be found in Mark Lewis’ The Lives of a Showman.

I am a huge fan of autobiographies written by those individuals who have chosen magic as a profession. There is much to be learned when full-time performers share the challenges of their profession and provides insight in the artistic and financial struggle involved in making a living in magic. Often, performers cannot help but apply a bit of artistic license in chronicling their careers (especially in our area of interest). Autobiographical titles that are unflinching in revealing not only triumphs but also tribulations associated with the subject are few and far between. Add to that an author that can actually write engagingly while being candid about his experiences and you find a rare gem. David Bamberg’s Illusion Show, Arthur Brandon’s Milo & Roger and The Life and Times of Augustus Rapp by Augustus Rapp are three of my favorite examples within our industry.

Don’t get me wrong, I love reading history books written by passionate scholars who are deeply knowledgeable in their subject area, but nothing gets to me like hearing first-hand perspective from a working performer. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a “known” performer (witness Rapp); there is enormous wealth and entertainment to be gained from those who scraped, hustled and grinded to earn their daily bread.

Which brings us once again to Mark Lewis.

While unknown to the public at large (both in his native Great Britain and in his adopted home of Canada), Mark Lewis has lived life, so far, on his wits, choosing to make a living in ways that run counter to conventional life choices (which some might see as romantic), but that implies that he is making decisions rather than being “called” to the lifestyle. “Reverend” Lewis (as he sometimes refers to himself) follows his own path and this volume shares tales from that journey with his readers.

The Lives of a Showman begins with a foreword by David Ben and introduction containing excerpts (some would say testimonials) from some of Mark’s friends. A list of some chapter titles will give you a sense of the areas covered: The Early Years: How I Became a Magician; The Later Early Years: Making a Living; I become a Professional Magician; No Business Like Show Business; On the Road in Showbusiness; The University of Evil; More Evil at the University; The Emerald Isle; Auntie Annie; How I Became Psychic; Canada and the Psychic Fairs; The Showman and the Shaman; The Showman and the Shaman-Part Two; and The Final Word.

Lewis is an engaging writer and shares his early history and experiences in magic with such notables as Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh, and David Berglas. Along the way he details his inauspicious rise in magic from school days to performing in working clubs and restaurants and “grafting” (pitching magic and products for sale to the public) from England to Ireland to Canada. He is unflinching in describing his abilities (or lack thereof) as he developed as a performer. His writing is very evocative and one can thoroughly envision the clubs he worked in, the challenging audiences (including criminals) he faced and the other “working” performers trying to find their place in the world he observed. When Lewis traveled to Dublin to pitch Svengali Decks, he describes a divided Ireland at war with itself from the perspective of a salesman simply trying to make a living. While painting a picture of the society at large, he doesn’t leave out the details regarding making a living and provides plenty of details about the life and workings of a grafter in the festivals, department stores, exhibitions, conferences and streets.

The latter parts of the book deal with Lewis’ “conversion” to psychic entertainment and readings (thoroughly acknowledging commercial aspects of his decision), his eventual emigration to Canada and, in the last two substantial chapters of the book, description of his long-term on-again/off-again relationship with a woman who repeatedly breaks his heart. This part of the book is especially moving. Lewis’ longing and desire for and expressions of love are powerfully written without being maudlin.

As I read The Lives of a Showman, I was struck by similarities between Lewis and Thurston as described in Jim Steinmeyer’s The Last Greatest Magician in the World (reviewed in Magicol No. 179). The early chapters of each volume reveal two protagonists separated by decades yet similar in background, performance approach and ego. Both performers appeared to hold similar philosophies regarding their audiences and both maintain a certain antagonistic relationship with their audiences (both professional and accidental). It is quite enjoyable to discover that the acerbic persona both have created often belies a thoughtful and generous (if sometimes hidden) nature. Further consultation of Grace Thurston’s My Magic Husband: Howard Thurston Unmasked detailed personality traits and even more parallels of a “tarnished” early life that resonated with Lewis’ descriptions of his own development.

While I finished the Steinmeyer book quite rapidly, I found that The Lives of a Showman took more time to read. This was not because it is a difficult read (it is written in a very conversational, almost confessional style), but rather because each couple of paragraphs encouraged self-reflection. I enjoyed the journey.

I would have appreciated more photographs and more background/stories of some of the supporting “characters” in his life. It would also have been wonderful to have some resolution/conclusion at the end of the book, but life generally doesn’t occur in convenient story arcs.

To some, Mark Lewis may be a troll, but let’s be honest, whose story is likely to be more interesting: the troll under the bridge or those who get to traipse above with relatively few cares in the world? The Lives of a Showman is not a complete autobiography of a life in magic, but rather a collection of memoirs. It answers some questions while introducing many more. While it is unlikely that Lewis will have the same impact on the world at large as Thurston, for those who make the investment, there is much to be gleaned from his experiences.—ANDREW PINARD