harry houdini's helpful hints

harry houdini is awesome. aside from being a world-class magician, escape artist, and master of early mass marketing; houdini was a voracious reader, major benefactor of children's charities, passionate debunker of spiritualists, thiefs, and bunco men, and encyclopedia of the history of his chosen profession.in light of the skirball center's current show, 'Houdini: art and magic,' which i have yet to see, i went and reread the book Houdini on Magic (1953, dover pub, houdini, gibson & young eds.). it's a really fun and interesting book to me. but the thing that stuck with me this time through, as the first time through, was the following list, some of which is infinitely applicable to whatever your discipline. 

helpful hints for young magicians under eighty

-in winning your audience, remember that 'manners make fortunes' so don't be impertinent.-an old trick well done is far better than a new trick with no effect.-never tell the audience how good you are; they will soon find that out for themselves.-nothing can give greater delight to the gentler sex than to have some flowers handed to them which you have produced from a hat or paper cone.-rabbit tricks are positive successes.-never work to fool a magician; always work to your audience. you may think your trick is old, but it is always new to members of your audience.-an old trick in a new dress is always a pleasant change.-when practicing a new trick, try it in front of a looking glass, accompanying you moves with your entire patter.-don't drag your tricks, but work as quickly as you can, bearing in mind the latin proverb, 'make haste slowly.'-when your audience is far distant from you, pantomime work will be well appreciated.-well chosen remarks on topics of the day are always in order.-the newspapers generally commented more on heller's wit than on his magic. [robert heller, a contemporary magician and pianist]-always have a short sentence ready in case a trick should go wrong. one magician, who has the misfortune to blunder often, says, 'ladies and gentlemen, mistakes will happen, and that is one of them.'-walk right out on stage, and tell your tale to your audience, and perhaps many will believe it.-it is far more difficult to give a trial show to a house full of seats and one manager than to a packed house and no manager. it's a shame such an entertaining list has to end with the word 'manager.' so, taking the cue from richard brautigan, i'll end the post with a better word: mayonnaise.