My story is the same as every other magicians (in the general sense). I had a close up experience w/ someone who did a few simple tricks for me when I was 10 or 12 years old. It was a salesman in a furniture store in Holmdel, NJ who entertained me while my parents were looking at their 'soon to be' next piece of colonial furniture. I don't really recall the details (of the tricks or the furniture) but I know he did a coin trick and the classic ring on a string trick. It stuck in my head for many years although I never had any crazed desire to do tricks myself or become a magician. When I was in my mid 20's I gave a shot at learning some sleight of hand w/ cards but w/ no mentor and only a handful of books available (no Internet ... and VHS was in its infancy), I lost interest and never was able to make anything of the little that I knew.

Then in 2002 or so I suddenly became quite the book worm (still not sure where that came from). My primary interests were politics and all that it comprises but after a while I broadened my horizons and started reading other stuff just to break it up. One of my 'alternate' choices was a book of short stories that included a story about a magician which sparked my interest in magic again. So I give it a go again and decide to do a small 'discovery' of what's available to learn sleight of hand on my own. With the existence of the Internet, and the widespread use of the DVD format, there are tons of resources available (for a fee of course) for learning the fundamentals of magic. So off I go on my new hobby ... which ultimately turns into a bit of an obsession ... and surely has matured into a passion.

It's been quite a ride in only a few years. I've come a long way ... and I feel like I'm a lot more grounded in what's real and what's not as a result of my efforts of late. I'm looking forward to whatever lies ahead ... and I'm confident that it will all be good.