Looking Foreword: Larry Wilmore on Final Degree

Nothing sets the stage for a new book like a great introduction. “Looking Foreword” is our series where we give you exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming titles through their prefaces, introductions, and of course, their forewords.

We have just a few more days before Final Degree releases! To celebrate, we're sharing Larry Wilmore's foreword to the book.

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How do you know when a joke is done?

This is the question I posed to original SNL staff writer Alan Zweibel when I spoke to him on my podcast recently about joke writing. We both agreed that just because a joke gets a laugh doesn’t mean there isn’t more work to do. Not until you have the perfect words and the perfect amount of words can a joke be considered “done.” It is now and forever the joke it was always meant to be.

How do you know when a trick is done?

Enter John Guastaferro. With Final Degree, John applies his one-degree philosophy to explore how the right combination of patter, sleights, and presentational flourishes can lead to the triumphant conclusion of a magic trick’s journey.

John is a master of what I call “incremental perfectionism.” He has the uncanny ability to create effects that are brilliant. But little do we know, that’s only his starting point. There’s a “One Degree,” “Nth Degree,” and even “Final Degree” of incremental adjustments on their way. And these adjustments can take routines from already brilliant to instant classics!

Mr. E. Takes a Turn (Chapter 3) and Bets In Show (Chapter 4) are prime examples. The journey these routines have traveled to where they’ve finally settled is as fascinating as the tricks themselves! This is the genius of John Guastaferro.

One of John’s favorite themes in his magic is travel. And so it’s fitting that each chapter takes you on a journey of past, present, and possible.

And the essays that punctuate the sections give you a glimpse into John’s virtuosic thinking and world view. You’ll also get some great back stories and extra context on many effects and their evolutions.

Having known John for more than two decades, his writing thoughtfully reveals the man himself. There are many “degrees” that make up the prestidigitator in these pages. John is a master magician in his brain, a humanitarian in his heart, an artist in his soul, and a girl dad when he’s in his jeans.

So, how do you know when an Introduction to a classic book is done?

When there’s nothing else left to say, except, Ladies and Gentlemen, John Guastaferro.

Larry Wilmore
Pasadena, California
July 2025