I’m often asked about the first trick I ever learned.
Like a lot of people in my line of work, it started with my grandfather. Growing up, he used to do this one specific trick for me and my cousins at family parties.
He’d lay a handkerchief on the table, put a dime right in the middle, and fold the four corners over it. He'd let us feel the coin through the fabric just to be sure. Then, he’d pick it up, give the cloth a sharp flick, and the dime was gone.
I watched him do it for years before he finally showed me the secret. I was six years old.
Recently, while digging through some old materials, I found a description of this exact trick published in 1946. There's a good chance it’s the very book he learned it from.
(If you prefer not to know how it works, stop scrolling here).
It was my first real lesson in a principle I still rely on today: the most impossible moments are built on the simplest mechanics.
I'm always curious what sticks with people over the years. If you have a memory of the first magic trick you ever saw, send it my way. I'd love to hear it.
May 1, 2026