Genii Magazine - May 2026

May 2026 • Volume 89, Number 5

In this issue... The Genii Speak • Will Houstoun Reading recommendations, inside and outside Genii

Mailbox • The Genii Editors An empty mailbox generates some creative connections

The May Almanac • Will Houstoun Art and the benefit of believing your own publicity

The Eye • Vanessa Armstrong Theater, school bullies, art, and two types of exposure

Features

An Oral History of the Manufactured Standing Ovation • Chloe Olewitz Seventeen magicians from around the world share their views in this wide-ranging exploration of the neediest of trends, the manufactured standing ovation

Time Travel With Joe Strong, the Boy Wizard • Paul Heller Learn all about Joe Strong—the fictional tightrope walking, motorbike riding, underwater swimming, trapeze swinging teenage adventurer (who also did magic)

Voices

This Is Who I Am • Annanya George
Who are you? And does your magic answer that question for your audiences?

The Genii Questionnaire • Dan White
Dan White responds to our questionnaire

Eclectica • Chris Power
How do you keep the passion alive? By visiting Heathrow Airport and Blackpool

Ever in Your Favor • Reinhard Hohlfeld
Exploiting the odds to do better magic

In Practice

Magicana: Tebe (Bertram) Change • Moritz Mueller
An open and elegant handling of this classic change

Magicana: The Smoking Faro • Denis Behr
Bringing the heat with a unique Faro shuffle

Magicana: Give Dance a Chance • Helge Thun
A complete stand-up card routine

Magicana: Instant (Soup) Miracle • Tino Plaz
Tino has this impossible location in the bag

Magicana: The Spectator Cheats • Reinhard Müller
Follow along and surprise yourself

Stapled • Abby Segal
Use sound and shape to fool your audiences

The Reverse Cull • Adam Elbaum
Adam takes the cull in a new direction

Inventing Magic • Blake Vogt
Tobias Dostal joins Blake to talk art, magic, and pretzels

In Performance

The Magic Castle • Shawn McMaster
Tickling the ivories with Irma

Smoke & Mirrors • Vanessa Armstrong
Genii gets a drink in Bristol’s magic pub

Marketplace

Best in Show • Jeff Prace
Conjuring Lab’s authentic approach to selling magic

Staff Picks: Bazar de Magia • Roberto Mansilla
Visiting Argentina’s magic hub

Reviews
The Big Prediction Writer; A Taste of the Disclaimer; Unclear Guide to Magic; The Ross Johnson Legacy: Hard-Hitting Mentalism; Avi Yap Masterclass

Advertisers’ Index

Workshop

Too Many Cooks • David Kaye
What happens when parents direct your show?

The Hardest Questions I Have • Pete McCabe
How you answer will unlock better magic

Making Crowd Work Work • Harrison Greenbaum
Completing the list of crowd work games

A Safe Space for Honest Feedback • Lindsay Benner
Doing the hard work to take on notes

Perspectives

The Chamber of Secrets • John Gaughan
Thayer’s big ball vase

Stylish Characters in Conversation: Part 2 • Prakash Puru and Rachel Wax
Pockets, characters, and choices

Magic With Flair • Brendan Rodrigues
An unexpected encounter in a busy club

Jim Carter… on Magic
Incontinent doves and Duran Duran