Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium
Psychic Blues cover
|
|
| Author | Mark Edward |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Sean Tejaratchi |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Psychic Reading |
| Publisher | Feral House |
|
Publication date
|
August 7, 2012 |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 340 |
| ISBN | |
Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium is a memoir by Mark Edward about his time working as a psychic entertainer. Published in 2012, the book covers Edward's controversial career as both a performer and a skeptical activist.
Mark Edward gives the reader a look into the world of the psychic entertainer. From working the overnight shift answering the telephone for the Psychic Friends Network to counseling the rich and famous at celebrity galas, the author paints a picture of what it is really like to work in this profession. The book was published in paperback format in 2012 by Feral House. In 2015, Edward announced plans for the production of an audiobook version containing a substantial amount of additional material about his influences, personal life, and motivations.
This book contains only my observations of the psychic world in its most likely paradigm: a terribly disappointing con.
Mark Edward (born Mark Edward Wilson) first acquired an interest in performing and magic from his grandfather, who was a magician himself. His career as a performer began in the 1970s, and has included 14 years at The Magic Castle, where he gave palmistry and tarot readings and conducted séances. He has also performed at a wide variety of venues, including private homes, a spiritualist church, corporate events, celebrity parties (including a baby shower at Eddie Murphy’s house and Buddy Hackett's 70th birthday party), and large public gatherings such as Dragon Con. His work with the Psychic Friends Network led him to the conclusion that all psychic entertainers were using only natural techniques, and that the public would be better served by his revealing these techniques.
Mark Oppenheimer of The New York Times placed Edward's book in the tradition of other performers—such as James Randi, Harry Houdini, and Penn & Teller—who simultaneously "perform their crafts and debunk them". Oppenheimer also commented on the "conflicted" nature of the book, saying, "there is something tragic about his own ambivalence. From page to page, he cannot decide which side he is on. Sometimes he is crusading against the mountebanks and charlatans. Other times he defends his work as pure entertainment." He called the book, "A strange mishmash of self-pity, self-justification, and genuine repentance—and a compelling look at the disputed territory where entertainment meets religion, where some practitioners actually think they can practice both at the same time."
...
Wikipedia