Friday, January 12, 2024

Houdini diary book update

As we begin 2024, I thought it would be nice to give everyone an update on where things stand with the Houdini diary book. 
 
For those who might not know what I'm talking about, Mike Caveney's Magic Words is publishing Houdini's first known travel diary from the collection of Dr. Bruce Averbook. I have thoroughly annotated the diary and we've gathered many rare images from several major collections to illustrate it. It's going to be a Houdini book like no other!

Last month, I got my first look at the work of designer Michael Allbright, and everything about this book is going to be first-class. It will be a large-format book that could run nearly 300 pages. Michael's design and how he's laying out each and every page of the diary is really impressive. There is a title, but I want to save that for when we have a final cover to reveal (patrons will get the first look). There will also be a Deluxe edition.

Our hope is to have the book ready in time for the Magic Collector Expo in May, but we'll see. We want this to be the best Houdini book it can be, so we're not rushing it. But barring anything unforeseen, it will be a 2024 release.

That's the update. I think this is going to be a book you will all flip for!

11 comments:

  1. Looking forward to purchasing your DELUXE edition as soon as it’s available!

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  2. Such fantastic news! Absolutely cannot wait! And so excited to hear that there will be a deluxe edition too :)

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    1. I admit we've been stymied on a few different ideas for what will be "deluxe" about it, and at the moment I'm not sure exactly what it will be. But people love Mike's Deluxe editions and he's determined to do one.

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    2. It is ever so enticing....and I am very confident that your team will come up with something stunningly special.

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  3. This is exciting news indeed! Can’t wait!

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  4. This is great news!!! Hmm...that photo looks familiar.

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    1. That was taken in Bruce's amazing "The Averbook Magic Art Museum & Library." I wish I had dressed up a bit more because it could have made a nice author photo for the book. Holding the real diary was a thrill.

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    2. Isn't this the diary we see in the Henning/Reynolds Houdini book? You can spot entries in it from the photograph in the book, like Hagerstown, Maryland and so on.

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