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

I'm probably the only kid in history whose parents made him stop taking music lessons. They made me stop studying the accordion.

Unlike other Jewish families, we didn't go out for Chinese food on Sundays, but we spent our time in a world of baking powder biscuits and the best shrimp cocktails that ever were.

If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.

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.

I like being fooled. When I watch someone who does sleight-of-hand and fools me, it's a great feeling.

The pain is bad magicians ripping off good ones, doing magic badly, and making a mockery of the art.