My interest in magic was sparked at an early age, and I spent many a Saturday afternoon either at Perfect Magic or Morrisey Magic, Montreal’s two great magic stores that alas are no more. You went there not only to purchase tricks but also to soak up the magical atmosphere.

It was here in that pre-internet era that magicians from neophytes to pros gathered on Saturdays to test new effects and critique each other. There were also lively discussions about how David Copperfield, Doug Henning or Siegfried and Roy carried out the illusions on their latest television special.

Any customer who was lucky enough to wander in would be treated to an impromptu performance by magicians eager to try out a routine and would walk away amazed, often with a bag of tricks they purchased. Only when they got home did they realize that something other than the tricks was needed to mystify their friends — hours of practice that could not be purchased.

There was something else available at the magic store and it was free: a lesson in critical thinking. The appeal of magic is that it presents a puzzle for the brain. “How was it done?” is the question that springs to mind on seeing a coin vanish, a dove appear or a person being cut in half. It all seems miraculous, but once you get involved with magic and start buying tricks and reading books, you realize that the secrets behind the effects that appear to defy the laws of nature have some very down-to-earth explanations.

I remember how on one of my first visits to........

© Montreal Gazette