This is the 101st post, so we figured we’d do a rundown of some posts from the past hundred that are underappreciated, along with something else. Whether you’re a newcomer or a reader from the beginning, these may have flown under your radar. Enjoy some thoughts from our writers on their pieces as well.

The Forbidden Library: A Prelude, by Drew

Drew sez:

This was a presentation I had been using for a while, but I never thought to write about it. One day I was jamming with a friend and told him about it, and he convinced me to get it into writing. This is a meta universal presentation that entails you telling a story about a forbidden magic library, and how you’ve managed to learn a trick from said library.

This is great. The hardest part is pacing things. It’s a wonderful example of the kind of story that can have them wondering “Okay, that was bullshit… but what if…?”

The Chinese Knockoff: A Presentation For Obvious Gimmicks and Other Things, by Franklin

Franklin sez:

My first post here, but the result of at least a year of thought. If there’s a trick you like that somehow feels a bit too gimmicky (whether or not it involves gimmicks), there’s a variation of this presentation that you can use to give it a completely unserious but familiar real-world grounding. For example, although this product didn’t exist at the time I wrote the piece, it would nicely suit a presentation of Tobias Dostal’s Liquify.

I find this not only hilarious but useful too.

Imagination Thieves, by Drew

Drew sez:

This is my presentation for Garrett Thomas’ “Imagination Coins”. The presentation revolves around a pseudo-pickpocketing technique that you demonstrate to the participant. I had always loved the trick, but never understood why there were four coins used, despite only one coin vanishing and appearing. (Outside of the method, of course.) This presentation addresses this issue, and paints it red.

I’ve never done Imagination Coins, but this is a great solution to the problem that kept me from doing it back in the day.

House of the Rising Peek, by Drew

Drew sez:

A peek that you can do with your Rising Card gimmicked deck. It’s more suited to a performance with two or more participants, because the trick requires that 2 cards be selected. I was excited about getting this post up, because I had never seen anything like this idea in magic before.

An interesting thing that can be done, to be sure. I can’t say I’ve done it myself, Franklin chose this list, but it’s definitely some unique thinking.

Monkey Business, by Anne

Anne sez:

Magic history is frequently entertaining, but this offered a unique opportunity to share just how unusual our hobby can be. Magic attracts some weird personalities. Hopefully by highlighting these eccentricities we can keep magic weird.

#KeepMagicWeird

(Card) Monogamy is Overrated, by Drew

Drew sez:

A hate letter I wrote about the use of “mates” in card tricks. The solution I offer in the post doesn’t require anything extra other than the use of a deck of cards (what you’d be using anyway in your shitty “mate” card tricks). This is a principle I found myself doing in performance, but I never paid much attention to it until someone pointed it out.

I can’t argue with the logic here. I just wish it were a little easier to apply this solution to Gemini Twins. Wait a second… you could make the marker cards the other two?

Checking Your ID, by Jerry

Jerry sez:

This is something I’ve been doing when using an Invisible Deck for at least a decade now, and I’m very surprised that nobody’s ever talked about it before that I can tell. I kind of blew my load early with this one. This is one of my best posts, and will likely remain that way. If you haven’t read it, do so.

For all his faults, Jerry got this one right. If you’re using an Ultra-Mental/Invisible Deck (which you should be) you should check this post out.

Rubiked Mentor, by Drew

Drew sez:

Out of all the posts I’ve written for the blog, I am the most proud of this one. In this post, I tell a story of a time I performed Rubik’s Cube to Bottle for someone very special to me. I remember being quite emotional writing this up.

I get quite emotional reading it, so I can’t blame him.

Banachek’s Salad: Eggplant Is the New Broccoli, by Drew

Drew sez:

An analytical deep dive into the psychological force of a carrot. Also, learn an additional out that has saved me on many occasions. This was a bitch to write up. Managing the crediting, as well as keeping the writing interesting while having to include very dense information, was a challenge. Shout out to Anne and the Editor for the big help.

I don’t have much to say about this one, because I don’t do the force, but if you do, check it out.

One last underappreciated thing: Drew’s piece for our last post! Read it now if you didn’t before.

I was scouted to write for the Oval by the Editor, something that profoundly changed my life. It’s given me another output for my magic passion. I read somewhere that being a writer is like having homework every day. It is, but it’s homework that excites you. It’s homework in the same way that writing a letter to a crush is homework.

However, writing for the blog isn’t easy. When we come up with an idea, it doesn’t immediately go onto the blog. We experiment with it, perform it, and tweak it. When we’re eventually happy with the results, we begin to write it up. Then, once we’ve finished writing it, we edit the post multiple times and have it read by multiple people. They weigh in with their opinions and we reanalyze the post.

This process happens behind the scenes for every single post before it goes up. Any post of mine that you read on the blog is the way that it is because of the help of those amazing people. I’m grateful to them.

Collaborating on this blog has deepened my relationship with magic, creativity, and writing. I started writing for the Oval just after I finished my degree, so my writer’s voice at the time was academic and clunky. The Oval has given me an opportunity to improve my prose, and extend my style whimsically. I’m excited to grow it further, and to do it by sharing more nutty ideas with you lot.

The reason this blog exists is you, the person reading this sentence right now. Thank you for reading this blog, your support means everything.

I hope you stick around long enough to see the exciting projects we have in store come to fruition.

Here’s to one year at the Oval.

And that’s all the time we have, folks. Read those posts!

Until next we meet.