Does anyone know what Steve Freeman is up to these days? I rarely see any mention of him (perhaps I'm not looking in the right places?). I only really know of him through the Vernon Revelations tapes (which were obviously recorded many years ago) but would love to hear about else he's been involved in since then.

I read that he performed at the Magic Castle last month but other than that, has he previously had any marketed tricks out, DVDs, books or anything?

Thanks in advance.

Steve will probably never publish a book on magic. He even regrets he appeared on those Revelation tapes.

Hello Nikodini,

Could you give me a little more background regarding your two comments?

“Steve will probably never publish a book on magic. He even regrets he appeared on those Revelation tapes.”

Why will Steve never publish a book?

Why does Steve regret appearing on the Revelation tapes?

I would like to know this aswell...

Any more info?

Perhaps some insight can be gleamed from reading the Ricky Jay interview done in the New Yorker from the early 90's. Some of Vernon's 'students' look at themselves as true practitioners of the art and as such don't endorse things like revealing secrets via books, lectures and conventions. They are even tight-lipped amongst themselves.

I believe Steve Freeman was part of that group (at least he’s mentioned in the Jay article). The article refers to those who gather at the Magic Castle, clubs and conventions as ‘hoi polloi’ of magic. While Ricky doesn’t use that term, it implies he doesn’t care to be associated with that part of the magic community. Just speculation, but if Steve Freeman feels the same way, that may be why he regrets being on the tape.

Hey! I'm just getting through vol.4 of Revelations and Steve Freeman has peaked my interest. I know this post was originally strarted about 4 years ago, but does anyone have any recent info on this individual? I hear he pops up at various magic gatherings once in a while. Thanks!

Andre

Andre, this is a post I made on Freeman last year:

Never into performing magic in public, after Charlie Miller died Freeman left the public eye for good.

He went on to a very successful career as a senior executive with Kinko's, where he recently retired from.
He apparently now does financial consulting on a "post retirement" freelance basis.

Guys like Pete Biro see him now and then. Pete has commented a couple of times about bumping into Steve at conferences.
Steve does show up occasionally, (and therefore must be an invitee) at Jim Steinmeyer's Conference on Magic History.

Steve, like Persi Diaconis and a few other Vernon 'inner circle' types seem to not to seek anything in terms of a public profile related to magic, or feel the need to communicate regularly with other magicians.

Of that group it seems only Ricky Jay really continues to maintain a high public profile in magic, all the while rejecting any interaction with other magicians outside of his very small circle.

It can't be overstated just how much guys like Steve Freeman, Ricky Jay, and Persi Diaconis despised the revelation of magic secrets, especially those that were considered "inside".
Freeman especially, never had any desire to divulge via writing or performing any of his effects.

It's timely that you should ask about Freeman, with all the new interest, books, and DVD's coming out on "Expert at the Card Table".
Freeman remains one of the few folks who could/can do every move in the book perfectly.

One wonders if the folks that Steve interacted with on a daily basis in his Kinko's days actually knew he was one of the greatest card men of all time!

So.........as best we know Steve Freeman is retired and enjoying life after a long business career. HOPEFULLY he still picks up a deck of cards every day, maintaining what were the best card chops one could ever hope to see

Thanks for the update Silverking! Very interesting.

Andre

Steve probaly has just begun his new job as CFO of a major corporation. He was optimistic about it last chat I had with him in October.

Thank goodness Vernon himself didn't feel the same way his 'inner circle' did about revealing secrets. Think of all that would have been lost to us.

Steve Freeman, Persi Diaconis, Ricky Jay and the gang ALL had a mild case of disappointment when Vernon published his first major books.......one presumes they got over it, but if prodded, I think folks would be surprised at just how much the "inner circle" didn't want the real work out there.

Everybody has heard the rumors that "the gang" convinced Vernon to leave the very best stuff out of "Revelations".

Thanks for the update Pete, next time you see Steve tell him folks are STILL talking about his chops, and wish him the best from all the folks at the Café.

Am I correct in remembering that Steve appeared on the Vernon documentary a few years ago? I've only seen small clips of his work but he's really one of the best. I guess he would be considered even more underground than Forte, who has released some material and even performed on a magic special.

I for one am extermly thankfull for the Revelations Vids, Mr Freeman was an amazing card worker, I own a ton of DVDs, VHS's and its revelations that I relie on more then anything, magician's owe a dept od graditude to the professor for passing down his knowledge and stories on tape. Whoever came up with the idea of revelations should be givin a metal, for the advancement of our art.

Scott

For those interested, here is a link to the article at the New Yorker. It is an excellent read (15 pages) and I have maintained a link to it as one of the first areas of interest on the Ricky Jay archive page that is maintained at the Linking Page.

Enjoy:
Click here to Read "Secret of Magus"


cheers...

Interesting that this topic was brought up for discussion...

After thinking about the topic a bit, I remembered an interview with Ricky on the NPR show Fresh Air that we had archived on the webpage and went back to listen to it in order to insure that I didn't have it wrong.

The motto on the business cards for his consulting business (Deceptive Practices) is "Arcane knowledge on a need to know basis... "

His reluctance to discuss the "work" is displayed whenever he's asked as his typical response is something along the line of "That's what I'd call arcane knowledge on a need to know basis.."

In other words, and as he says repeatedly, Ricky (and I am guessing that based upon the fact that they both had the same mentor, neither is interested in the "gratuitous" exposure of any secret.

I hope that I am qualified to say that upon reflection, this may have influenced my own study of our craft. In my recent interview with Brian Brushwood from Scam School, we chatted about exposure. I mentioned that personally, I had avoided the exposure of method behind effects that were in no way connected to any effect that I would ever perform.

I wish to remain some marginal connection to my ability to suspend disbelief.

Wondering what everyone else thinks about such an idea.

cheers,
Dodd

I believe that magicians (and wannabe magicians) expose effects for two reasons, and two reasons only.

First, they expose effects in order to grub for money. These are usually accomplished amateurs or failed professionals who have discovered that there's a cash market for magic secrets and they want some of the cheese.

Second, people expose magic secrets in order to feel better about themselves. Kids on YouTube with no personal life expose a trick so they can tell their friends to "check it out"....... Some "review" web sites expose countless tricks in the guise of reviews with the web site being an extension of it's owner......the website being all they really have of value (in their eyes).

BTW, I think that 75% of most new magic books and e-books are written for exactly the same reason.....not to further magic, but so the authors can feel better about themselves. Tipping slightly modified classic effects over which the authors have absolutely no claim in a $30.00 e-book has become the norm these days.

IMHO, the exposure of magic secrets is something that continues to poison magic, and guys like Ricky Jay, Persi Diaconis, and Steve Freeman have left the scum to do as they feel they must.
You see, there really is NO VALID REASON to expose a magic trick once you've learned the secret. There's nothing to be gained outside of my two points above, and the very act of exposing the effect reduces its value substantially if not completely.

The fundamental lack of a valid reason to expose a magic effect points strongly to personal issues inside the head of the person exposing the effect, and those issues likely having nothing at all to do with magic or magicians.

I won't go so far as to say the internet has done all of this. There were idiots exposing magic tricks long before there were computers.
I will say that the rate exposure used to take place at absolutely pales in comparison to the level of exposure today. YouTube alone has been the vehicle for more exposure on a 24 hour a day / 7 day a week basis than any other single media possibly could be.

If every magician was as tight lipped about methods as Ricky Jay, all magi would be better off.
Cervon was just as tight lipped, until his Castle Notebooks left his hands for good.......then I guess anything can (and does) happen.

Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done on a large scale to prevent exposure. This very post isn't worth the calories I burned typing it.

What one person can do though is to do what Ricky Jay does.......YOU don't tip anything to anybody outside your closest confidants.............ever.

I hope Ricky Jay, Persi Diaconis and Steve Freeman all take their best stuff to their graves with them.

..........I salute them.

Beautifully stated Silverking. I realise it's a relatively old thread, but still

I recently posted about an experience at a university magic society; basically, those running it exposing, or "teaching" secrets, to a room full of non-magicians.

Reflecting upon the issue of exposure, I've moved through stages of 1) thinking that Ricky Jay and the like are secretive and exclusive almost to the point of being abhorrently elitist, 2) agreeing with them in some circumstances, to 3) my current, renewned mindset, which is that any sharing of secrets must be earned.

Of course, that's all very easy to say, because I've had access to and been immersed in a great many of those secrets for several years. But my most valuable lessons were learned from personal one-on-one discussion with seasoned pros, and only after proving whatever worth I might have possessed.

Interesting thread.
Eight years ago, silverking wrote "Everybody has heard the rumors that "the gang" convinced Vernon to leave the very best stuff out of "Revelations".
There was indeed a very strong rumour that the best stuff had been left out of Revelations. People were adamant that they knew this was the case.
Well, around eight years ago, Revelation was published; and then it became clear that Revelations had not held anything back. As Persi wrote in my copy "I didn't take stuff out - I put it in!"
I write this to correct an old slur on Diaconis.
But also because it serves as a good reminder of how strongly held rumours can be wrong!

On the issue of exposure; I guess we each are entitled to our own viewpoints. But - when silverking writes "there really is NO VALID REASON to expose a magic trick once you've learned the secret", to me this seems a selfish point of view. After all, how did you learn the secret in the first place, unless someone exposed it to you?
The only reason I got into magic, was because Hugard and Braue exposed secrets in Royal Road to Card Magic. I'm glad they did.
I wonder how silverking got into magic, unless through exposure by another magician?
(I have no beef with silverking and agreed with many of his posts. I miss him here.

Did Vernon "need to know" the material in "Expert at the Card Table"?

If Erdnase had not "exposed" the material in that book ... what would have become of Vernon?