Post
Stairway by Markobi
I genuinely didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. I saw Markobi’s FISM act and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was playful, unique, and irreverent in all the right ways. I was fooled at several points along the way. His character at FISM was such a buffoon that, admittedly, I kind of expected his writing to be similar. Not that I thought he was dumb, he was clearly playing a character, but his presence was so casual and laid back that I expected this book to be similar.
I couldn’t have been more off. This book reads as if it were written by a literary scholar. Markobi uses big words to express big ideas, and I was blown away by the level of detail in his FISM act. This isn’t a book I can review in my typical way since it’s a book of theory and thinking rather than tricks, but I do have a few things to say.
The whole book basically outlines Markobi’s journey to the title of World Champion of Magic. It begins with a look at his creative process which involves free writing in a journal, overlaying your literal dreams onto reality, how he analyzed the structure of previous FISM winners to find the formula for success, ways to prepare your act, ways to prepare for a competition, and ultimately, he outlines his entire FISM act.
I found the first half of the book fascinating to read. It all felt a bit like personal journal entries. Sometimes I found myself kind of glazing over the words because there are so many scattered thoughts and opinions. It's not a bad thing, it's just very unexpected from a magic book. It's meant to give you something to think about and reflect on; it's certainly not one of those books you read with your morning cup of coffee. I had to put the book down several times because it was just so much information. I can see why some people didn't like the first half of the book. It's very different, but what would you expect from a guy who gave away a KitKat bar and ate potato chips during the literal World Championship of Magic?
I was particularly amazed at the FISM act details. Yes, Markobi teaches exactly how he does each moment in the act, but way more importantly, he teaches WHY he does each moment in his act. His thinking was deeper and more profound than I expected, and it’s clearly why he took home the title. He knew exactly who his audience was, and he played with their expectations throughout. He used their knowledge against them and laid seeds that he was able to cultivate in unexpected ways. He is a genius. His character hides the intricate structure of his act, and he comes across as comedic in a genuine way and not a “comedy magician” way. He is perfectly human, and he shows that in his time on stage. This was worth wading through the waters in the first half. I've seen some say that they feel he didn't actually teach the act in the book, but that's just dead wrong. You could literally do his act verbatim after reading (not that you should.) But truthfully, that wasn't the point of this part of the book. The point was to show the thinking that was behind his unusual choices, and that's what left me inspired.
I have never done magic competitions, but after reading this, I have a new appreciation for the work that goes into creating an act for competition. It’s a totally different world than typical performances. Even though I doubt I’ll ever do a magic competition, I was truly inspired by what I read, and I think every working magician can take something from this and apply it directly to their own act to make it more fun, fooling, and more human.
I can’t recommend it enough.
Available for €120 at the link below. Use code MAGICREVIEW at checkout for €5 off!
Never miss a post! Subscribe now!