Not only do I lie, I take real pleasure in lying, in the transmission of magic effects.

I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do.

Not only do I lie, I take real pleasure in lying, in the transmission of magic effects.

My father was the Formica King of Long Island, and my mother was the daughter of a Bengal Lancer in India.

I know absolutely nothing about the 20th Century.

I started doing radio pieces with no clear, preconceived idea, except that I have a tendency to be theatrical.

Sitting with a deck of cards in your hand all day is an obsession. Visiting print shops and bookstores and libraries is an obsession. And writing about this is an obsession. I think, in general, most collectors are obsessed. I think the only form of a rationalized greed is when you're collecting something you are supposedly serious about.