Waubonsee Community College

The life and afterlife of Harry Houdini, Joe Posnanski

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-316)

contains biographical information

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

The life and afterlife of Harry Houdini

bibliography

1022616600

Joe Posnanski

Joe Posnanski explores Harry Houdini's impact on global culture and the reasons his legacy endures to this dayHarry Houdini. Say his name and a number of things come to mind. Escapes. Illusions. Magic. Chains. Safes. Live burials. Close to a century after his death, nearly every person in America knows his name from a young age, capturing their imaginations with his death-defying stunts and daring acts. He inspired countless people, from all walks of life, to find something magical within themselves. This is a book about a man and his extraordinary life, but it is also about the people who he has inspired in death. As Joe Posnanski delves into the deepest corners of Houdini-land, visiting museums (one owned by David Copperfield), attractions, and private archives, he encounters a cast of unforgettable and fascinating characters: a woman who runs away from home to chase her dream of becoming a magician; an Italian who revives Houdini's most famous illusion every night; a performer at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles who calls himself Houdini's Ghost; a young boy in Australia who, one day, sees an old poster and feels his life change; and a man in Los Angeles whose sole mission is life has been to keep the legend's name alive. Both a personal obsession and an odyssey of discovery, Posnanski draws inspiration from his lifelong passion for and obsession with magic, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to examine Harry Houdini's life and legacy. This is the ultimate journey to uncover why this magic man endures, and what he still has to teach the world about wonder

Los Angeles, November 30, 1915 -- The truest believer -- Childhood. Lies and illusions ; The origin story ; The Silverman boxes ; The runaway child ; Bahl Yahn, the strong man -- Metamorphosis. Torrini ; The name ; The early days ; Acid on the dress ; Sideshow ; King of cards ; Magic made easy -- Escape. Beck ; Naked ambition ; Scotland yard ; Not a love match ; The fight of Cologne -- Mirrors. The mirror cuffs ; How he did it (theory one) ; How he did it (theory two) ; How he did it (theories galore) ; My guess -- Miracles. The needles ; The challenges ; Straitjackets ; The bells of the Kremlin ; Life and death -- Copperfield. Epic rap battle I ; Korby's clothing store ; Elephants and statues ; Epic rap battle II -- Torture. Nothing supernatural ; Houdini upside down ; The empathy of escape ; The secret -- Inescapable death. The dutiful son ; Spirits of the night ; The punch ; The end -- The afterlife. There is no death ; The grim game ; The unmasking ; Afterword: Houdini's ghost