Celebrating Houdini and National Magic Week

Yesterday, Tom Gentile and the SAM hosted a six-hour Zoom event celebrating Houdini and marking the start of National Magic Week. Yesterday also happened to be the 100th anniversary of Houdini last performance at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit on October 24, 1926. The countdown to Halloween has begun!

It was a terrific event with presentations by many prominent Houdiniites, including Joe Notaro, Eric Colleary, Tom Ewing, Jeff & Debbie Blood, Charles Greene III, Bill Radner, Bruce Averbook, Dean Gunnerson, Trudy Monti, Joe Devlin, Houdini II, Robert Kirkpatrick, John Hinson, Scott Wells, Wayne Alan, and more. I was also invited to give a brief presentation. I had planned something history-based and a little unique, but then I received a package in the mail and decided to change things up.

What's in the mystery box behind me? If you were on the Zoom, you know. If not, I will share it tomorrow here on the blog.

Congratulations to Tom Gentile, Robert Dadras, and Joel "Batman" Zaritsky for an outstanding event and wonderful six hours celebrating Houdini!

Photo courtesy Charles Greene III.

Related:

• Six-hour Houdini online celebration, Oct 24
• Houdini takes the stage for the last time
• The Garrick after Houdini

In one week, Houdini comes home (maybe)

I can hardly believe that in just one week I will be waking up inside Houdini's New York home (278) and preparing for a day of historic séances. No séance has taken place inside 278 since 1971, so this is pretty special. Of course, there are many other Houdini séance events happening on Halloween, but nothing could keep me away from this one. Heck, even if there weren't any séances, 278 is where I would most want to spend this 100th Anniversary. And it's still not too late to join us.

This event is the brainchild of magician Reynold Alexander and the homeowners, Niro Anandasabapathy and Vincent Toms. All proceeds will be donated to a new "Make cancer disappear" fund at Weill Cornell Medicine for cancer vaccine and immunotherapy research (time of death seance), and to the restoration and preservation of the house (evening seances). Every effort is being made to create a special environment and vibe with a pianist, wine and cheese, and lots of Halloween atmosphere. Photos of Houdini inside the house will be displayed, along with some Houdini artifacts discovered during the restoration and others brought by attendees. The evening séances will be black-tie!

I will be giving a short talk on Houdini, the house, and what this séance signifies. I'll then give the house tour. I'll point out where some of the famous photos were taken and share a few house secrets. The séance will be held in the dining room, which was once Houdini's library. This was Houdini favorite place in the world to be, and some say he's still here!

There has been one change regarding who will be leading the séances. Originally, it was announced that Jodi Lynn, a certified psychic, would conduct all three séances. She impressed the attendees of the Official Houdini Séance in 2022, and she was excited to try again. However, a family matter has made Jodi unavailable in October.

Instead of bringing in an untested psychic or medium, we decided to return to the great tradition of the Annual Houdini Séance. The legendary Dorothy Dietrich will lead the 1:26 charity séance. Walter B. Gibson, who knew Houdini and spent a lot of time inside 278, handed Dorothy the séance tradition in 1976, and she has kept it going for 50 years alongside her partner Dick Brookz. It seems fitting that Dorothy should do her famous scene inside the house on this 100th anniversary. It's history on top of history!

Dorothy is passed the mantle by Walter B. Gibson 

and Milbourne Christopher in 1976.

For the 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM séances, magician Jessica Jane will take the reins and conduct the séances. Jessica has a deep love and understanding of Houdini and was educated in séance traditions by the late Rev. William Rauscher, a close family friend. Jessica will be trying some things no other séance has ever thought to try. I'm really excited for Jessica to bring a new approach and energy to the Houdini séance tradition. She is the next generation.

Jessica Jane has a message for Harry. Will he answer?

Every attendee will receive a Houdini house brick, a mini wand made from 278 wood by Barry Spector, and a few other special mementos of the evening. I'm so excited to be part of this and to be among a confluence of people who love and honor Houdini. How can the man himself not drop by?

The 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM séances have been sold out for months, but someone recently had to cancel, so two seats are now open for the 6:30 PM séance (as of this writing). If you want to be part of history, I'd grab one of these seats now. There are 5 spots open on the 1:26 PM charity séance. All proceeds from that séance go to cancer research.

Visit the official Houdini Anniversary Séance website, houdini.nyc, for more information and to reserve a seat. Whether Houdini joins us or not, this will be a memorable and historic gathering.

See you inside.

Related:

• Inside Houdini's 278
• The haunting of Houdini's 278
• New 278 owners committed to preserving Houdini history

Six-hour Houdini online celebration, Oct 24

Tomorrow, October 24, Tom Gentile and the SAM will host a 6-hour Houdini tribute event on Zoom starting at 6 PM ET. Tom has a great lineup of presenters, including me (I'll be in the 9–10 block).  Here are the details.

You may recall that in 2022 The Society of American Magicians arranged a 17-hour Zoom around the world (20 countries) for Harry Houdini’s birthday. This year marks 100 years since his passing, and the Society of American Magicians in collaboration with the PA1, has arranged a SIX-hour Zoom with many invited from people known to PROMOTE, SUPPORT, COLLECT or TEACH and are from organizations all around the globe, such as the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Magic Circle, FISM, and locations dedicated to magic. 

The start time is October 24th 6 pm EST, ending at midnight, to kick off National Magic Week 24th (October 25-31) in tribute to Harry Houdini’s habit of reaching out to others in the name of Magic at Hospitals, Shelters, Assisted living centers, schools, and more. 

I hope you can join us and visit for a spell! We do more together.

You can join via the links below. Hope to see you there!

Come Join The S.A.M. Houdini Zoom Event!

Meeting ID: 882 8079 4224

Passcode: 316555

Related:

• Houdini LIVED in Appleton last week
• Connecting with Houdini in Kansas City (and St. Joe)
• Celebrate Houdini's 150th with the SAM online (2024)

Lon Cerel reveals Houdini in Rhode Island, Oct 29

I've been tracking Houdini-related events this month on a single list because there are just too many to report individually. However, I think this one deserves a special shout-out. If I were in the area, I would definitely attend. Below are the details.

The Museum of Work & Culture will host Rhode Island-based professional magician and entertainer Lon Cerel on Thursday, October 29, from 6 - 8 p.m. for Fifty Years of Escapes, Ephemera, and Houdini Lore: Preserving a Rhode Island Connection. 

For the first time in 50 years, Cerel’s collection of vault-secured, museum-grade archive of manacles, stage-used apparatus, rare correspondence, and ephemeral artifacts belonging to Harry Houdini will be on public display. Houdini performed numerous times in Rhode Island, both in Providence and Woonsocket, with his last appearance just weeks before his untimely death.

The VIP portion of the program begins at 6 pm with a wine and cheese reception where a limited number of guests will receive an exclusive, intimate guided look at the artifacts. 

The main event will begin at 7 pm and feature a 30 min talk by Cerel, where he will detail the history represented in his collection, recount the stories associated with the artifacts, including that of Houdini’s last days, and discuss his own death-defying high-altitude, upside-down straitjacket escape performed in 1976 for the 50th anniversary of Houdini’s death. A Q&A will follow. 

The Museum of Work and Culture is located at 42 South Main Street in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. You can buy tickets HERE.  

Related:

• Houdini arrives in Providence
• My Houdini window card turns 100
• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence?

Three more 2026 Houdini book releases

If it's a Thursday, it must be time for another Houdini book release. Or maybe three! To say this has been a big year for Houdini books is an understatement. I'm keeping a complete list HERE, but I'm also trying to highlight each new release as it appears. Here are three new ones.

First up is Houdini Unlocked: The Master Magician as Marketing King by Brian J. Robb, released today in the UK. (The U.S. release will be in July of next year.) Below are the details.

Houdini was quick to grasp the concept of ‘entertainer as brand’, where fame was an aim in itself. When others stole his act, he published a book of his ‘handcuff secrets’ and quickly moved on to more extravagant escapes. He arranged many escapes with local merchants in the towns he visited on tour, in early mass tie-in marketing, and set up challenges with newspapers. 

This new study, timed for the centenary of his death, explores his unique life and position as both escapologist and marketing extraordinaire.

Purchase Houdini Unlocked: The Master Magician as Marketing King at Amazon.co.uk or pre-order at Amazon.com.

Next, our good friend Dean Carnegie, The Magic Detective, has just released The Houdini Coloring Book: 100th Centennial 1926-2026.

One hundred years after Harry Houdini made his final exit on Halloween 1926, the world's most famous escape artist still holds us spellbound. 

This centennial coloring book brings Houdini's legend back to life in 24 detailed coloring pages: The King of Cards, Metamorphosis, The Handcuff King, daring jail breaks and bridge jumps, the Milk Can and the Double Fold Death Defying Mystery, his historic flight in Australia, The Water Torture Cell, the Overboard Packing Case, the Straitjacket Escape, The Vanishing Elephant, his silent film thrillers, and his crusade against fake spirit mediums. 

Each of the 18 history plates is paired with a short note from magician and Houdini historian Dean Carnegie, creator of The Magic Detective.

Purchase The Houdini Coloring Book: 100th Centennial 1926-2026 on Amazon.

Finally, we have Trudy Monti's latest, Houdini & Me 2026 Chronicles, an expansion of her January release, Houdini & Me 2026.

Step into the captivating world of Harry Houdini, one of history’s most iconic figures, through the insightful pages of the Houdini & Me 2026 Chronicles. The Houdini & Me 2026 journal captures the daily events of Houdini’s extraordinary life in concise entries that hint at the richness of the stories behind them. 

In the companion to the journal, Houdini & Me 2026 Chronicles, with over 400 articles chronicling his incredible journey - from The Brothers Houdini to the dazzling solo acts of his later years - readers can witness the evolution of Houdini’s breathtaking performances, including the Metamorphosis, the Milk Can Escape, and the daring Chinese Water Torture Cell. 

Beyond the stage, delve into the personal choices that shaped his incredible legacy: a new name, an adjusted birthdate, and a reimagined birthplace. Each day offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a master magician, inviting you to truly know the man behind the myth.

Purchase  Houdini & Me 2026 Chronicles at Amazon.

Feast now! Because if my own book lands in December as anticipated, I don't know of any new releases for 2027.

Related:

• The 2026 Houdini Centennial Bookshelf 📚
• Houdini’s Coloring Book
• Quotable Houdini

LINK: Can AI slop even have an aesthetic?

This is a well-written and interesting read. It's not a review bashing Houdini: Back from the Dead per se. It even acknowledges there are good moments. But it does take on the idea of an all-AI documentary. It makes me think. Depending on where this all goes, Houdini: Back from the Dead could actually be a watershed moment in the history of documentary filmmaking (for good or bad). Harry on the cutting edge as always!

Sometimes, in Fox Nation’s Houdini: Back From The Dead, I can see the future of documentaries like the Ken Burns ones. Fox advertised the documentary as using AI to bring Houdini back to life, and there are moments where you do feel like the dead have been resurrected. Then a Scarlet Johansson lookalike flashes some distinctively ahistorical cleavage to make Houdini’s wife jealous and that marvelous vision of the future of documentaries disappears as neatly as Houdini would disappear an elephant.

Click to read the full article at AV Club 

Houdini: Back from the Dead is available now to watch on FOX Nation if you are a subscriber. If you are not, know you can get a 7-day free trial via Amazon.

Related:

• LINK: Houdini Back From The Dead - A Review
• 'Houdini: Back From The Dead' coming October 14
• Houdini Documentaries

The Official Houdini Séance 2026 to be held at The Magic Castle

The Official Houdini Séance for 2026 will be held at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Rob Zabrecky will be the medium. The séance will be held in the large Palace of Mystery instead of the Houdini Séance Room so members can attend (word is it's already full). The séance follows Potter & Potter's Houdini Returns: The Centennial Auction, which is also being held at the Castle on Halloween. Here is the official press release.

Houdini experts gather to speak to the world’s greatest escape artist.  Do the spirits return from the dead?

A committed group of Houdini experts and magic historians will convene at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA for The Official Houdini Séance on October 31.  The event has been a tradition since Harry Houdini, one of the most memorable international superstars, died at 1:26PM on Halloween 100 years ago.  He succumbed to peritonitis in Detroit, MI at the age of 52.

Houdini’s wife, Bess, honored her husband’s wish to hold a séance every year on the day of his death for 10 years.  In 1936, from the top of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood, her final séance was broadcast worldwide by radio.  Despite her best efforts, no sign or manifestations appeared, and Mrs. Houdini ended her vigil. 

“Besides the pact he made with his wife, Houdini enlisted other magicians and friends to conduct seances after his death,” said Séance director, William Radner of West Springfield, MA. “He boasted that if there was a way to make contact from the afterlife, he would do it.  Our group follows that 100-year tradition.” 

“Houdini was a very determined man,” said Radner. “His accomplishments were numerous.  His story of overcoming tremendous odds inspires us to continue our attempts to break through.”

The Official Houdini Séance has taken place at numerous locations throughout the world.  It is the second time the Magic Castle has hosted the séance.  “We have enlisted the services of professional medium Rob Zabrecky to guide us during the evening," said Radner. "He comes to us with strong credentials.  We remain hopeful." 

The annual séance attracts a prestigious group of participants.  This year, a very special Inner Circle member will be Debbie Hardeen Bloom, grandniece of Houdini. Others include handcuff expert Fred Pittella from Brooklyn, NY, Houdini collectors Arthur Moses from Texas, Dr. Bruce Averbook from Ohio, and Robert Somerdin from Florida, and Houdini historians Midge Markey from Washington and Tom Boldt from Wisconsin.

The Official Houdini Séance begins at 5PM PST, Oct. 31, 2026, at The Magic Castle, 7001 Franklin Ave, Hollywood, CA. The Magic Castle is a private club and open to members only.  Limited members of the press will be admitted by invitation only. For press passes, please contact Dan Hewitt, 202-277-3972 or Dhewitt@MagicCastle.com.  

For more information about the history of Houdini seances and Houdini, please contact Mr. Radner at 413-531-3333, Séance co-director Tom Boldt at 920-428-2335 or www.theofficialhoudiniseance.com.

Prior to the séance on Oct. 31, an important auction of Houdini memorabilia will take place at 10AM CST or 8AM PST.  For further information on “Houdini Returns:  The Centennial Auction” contact Potter and Potter Auctions, 773-472-1441 or info@potterauctions.com.

To make this even more special, The Magic Castle's Halloween decor this year is, what else, Houdini 100!

Top image courtesy of Paul Mandrex 

Related:

• A rundown of October 2026 Houdini events 🎃
• The Magic Castle reorganizes with Houdini's help
• Join the 100th Anniversary Séance at Houdini's home

'Houdini and the Promise of Youth' by Jef Stevens

Here's another 2026 non-fiction release that took me by surprise: Houdini and the Promise of Youth: Monkey Glands, an Aging Body, and an Unanswered Question by Jef Stevens. Below is the cover and description.

Harry Houdini could escape almost anything. Could he escape growing old?

In the 1920s, doctors offered an extraordinary promise: renewed youth through animal-gland transplantation. Monkey glands in Europe. Goat glands in Kansas. For a performer whose livelihood depended on his body, the prospect of restored vigor had an obvious attraction.

Houdini watched operations, corresponded about their results, and knew a surgeon conducting transplantation research. But how far did his interest go?

In Houdini and the Promise of Youth, Jef Stevens follows this little-known trail through a world where medical ambition, show business and the search for another chance collided. Along the way emerges a complicated Houdini: devoted to his mother, fiercely protective of his reputation, relentless in his promotion, and determined to expose fraudulent mediums—even when it cost him his friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The investigation ends in Montreal and Detroit, with the celebrated punches, a final performance given while seriously ill, and the hospital struggle that became part of his legend.

Drawing on correspondence, contemporary reporting and medical history, this illustrated book explores Houdini’s fascination with rejuvenation, the possibility of a private operation, and the unanswered questions surrounding his death.

For magicians, magic historians, and anyone who enjoys the stranger corners of vintage history—a famous life viewed through an unexpectedly intimate mystery.

I just received my copy, and while it'll be some time before I can read it, I'm happy to see that it includes a full set of Chapter Notes and photo credits.

You can purchase Houdini and the Promise of Youth now at Amazon.com.

By the way, my 2026 Centerary Bookshelf post is worth revisiting, as the number of new releases has grown to 20. And I don't think we're done yet! Click below to go.

Related:

• Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man
• Was Houdini considering a monkey gland transplant operation?
• Monkey glands revisited (The Houdini File)

The Magical Manacles by Aldo de Pape

This new 2026 release slipped past me because it didn't have Houdini in the title, but it didn't slip past the mighty Arthur Moses! Behold The Magical Manacles by Aldo de Pape with illustrations by Bianca Tulea.

What a beautiful day it is! Our silvery hearts are very happy you noticed us. People call us manacles. We were used in the olden days to make sure naughty thieves could not escape when they were caught by the police. We are made to be strong, indestructible, and designed never to be taken apart.

For centuries, we tied people's hands together.

That is, until we belonged to a bright star like yourself, called Erik Weisz. We would love to tell you more about Erik and how he became the greatest magician who ever lived.

I received my book yesterday, and it's beautifully done. I'm a sucker for illustrated Houdini books like this. Happy to add it to the shelf.

Purchase The Magical Manacles from  Amazon or The Bright Star Bazaar.

Thank you, Arthur.

Related:

• Illustrated gems
• Harry (and Banjoe!) on the Highwire
• Guest Blog: The Magic of Houdini's Library

LINK: Houdini Back From The Dead - A Review

Our friend Dean Carnegie has reviewed all three episodes of the new AI-generated docudrama, Houdini: Back from the Dead, produced by Red Rock Films for FOX Nation. I consulted on it, so I don't feel right reviewing it myself, but I think Dean does a great job. Just click below to have a read at The Magic Detective.

Houdini: Back from the Dead is available now to watch on FOX Nation if you are a subscriber. If you are not, know you can get a 7-day free trial via Amazon.

Related:

• 'Houdini: Back From The Dead' coming October 14
• Bringing Houdini to 2026
• Houdini Documentaries

A peek at the Premium Edition slipcase

This week I received a sample slipcase for the Premium Edition of Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, from the printers. It's a beauty! I'm not planning to reveal product images until next month, but I couldn't resist giving my patrons a video first look below.

I've also created a poll on my Patreon asking which edition, Regular or Premium, you are considering buying (or not). This post is open to everyone, so feel free to vote by clicking below. 

Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 will be available for preorder next month, with an expected shipping date in late December. It's getting exciting!

Related:

• Patreon Priority Preorder
• End of the road (Patreon)
• Handcuff King wet proof (Patreon)

Attend a magic show in Houdini's former film lab!

This month has an overwhelming number of Houdini events, but this one deserves a special shout-out. On October 30, Beni Coffee and Weehawken Gazette in Union City, New Jersey, will co-host a special "HOUDINI 100" celebration featuring an evening of magic and mentalism by David Corsaro. But what makes this evening extra special is that Beni Coffee is located in the building that was once Houdini's film lab and workshop! This is the first time any Houdini event or magic show has been held inside this historic space. I love this!

On the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death, Beni Coffee and Weehawken Gazette invite you to a night of magic featuring David Corsaro, inside Houdini’s very own former photography lab. Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the legacy of the legendary escape artist in a truly historic setting!

Click here to buy tickets on Eventbrite. Beni Coffee is located at 216 19th Street in Union City, NJ. You can read up on Houdini's film lab and the building's history via the related links below.

Related:

• The saga of Houdini's Film Developing Corporation
• It's now the "Houdini Studio" in New Jersey
• LINK: Escape To A Magical New Cafe In Houdini’s Old Haunt

Listen to 'Inescapable' by Cora Parago

You can now listen to Inescapable, Cora Parago's extremely well-done profile of Houdini through the lens of loss and grief, on CBC Listen. I’m proud to have been included in this distinguished group of interviews. Click below and enjoy.

You can read more about Cora Parago and the project at the Cape Brenton Post.

Related:

• 'Inescapable' on CBC Radio, October 12
• The hidden meaning of Houdini's iconic suit
• Pins and Needles: Love Letters to a Dead Magician

Guest Blog: Margery and Houdini: The Story I Had to Tell by Maryka Biaggio

Today I'm excited to share a guest post by Maryka Biaggio, an award-winning writer of historical fiction and author of the recently released novel Margery& Me. Take it away, Maryka!

Margery Crandon and Harry Houdini: The Story I Had to Tell 

Maryka Biaggio

I write historical fiction about real people, and I’m always looking for characters who might be interesting enough to warrant a novel. So when my editor at Doubleday mentioned I might consider writing about Margery Crandon, a spiritualist who did battle with Harry Houdini, my curiosity was piqued. Then she sent me a complimentary copy of The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher. And I was hooked.

Here’s what most intrigued me about the story: In the summer of 1924, Harry Houdini, the most famous escape artist in the world, sat in a darkened Boston parlor across from a woman in her thirties. She was glamorous, charming, and rumored to have the ability to summon the dead. Her name was Mina Crandon. The public knew her as Margery, and she was arguably the most famous psychic in the world.

I dug into the research and learned a great deal about the world of spiritualism, which was experiencing a renewal of interest in the 1920s. I acquired several books about Margery Crandon and delved into her background. If I was going to write about her, I needed to understand what made her tick.

Nothing in Margery Crandon’s early life suggested séance-room celebrity. She was born in 1888 to a farm family in rural Ontario. She and her brother, Walter, were apparently very close. He called her Mina. To her, he was the older brother she could confide in when their strict father punished them. When Walter came of age, he left the farm to work as a railroad worker in Buffalo, New York. A few years later, Margery moved to Boston, where she found a job working in the theatre. Before long, the lively and restless Margery met her first husband, Earl Rand, with whom she had a son.

When Walter died in a tragic trainyard accident in 1911, Margery was heartbroken. His death and their enduring bond would become a part of her legend.

In 1917, Margery experienced terrible abdominal pain, and Earl rushed her to the hospital, where she underwent surgery, possibly for appendicitis. Her surgeon was Dr. Roy Crandon, a wealthy and respected doctor. They met again while Crandon worked as a military physician at a Boston hospital and Margery volunteered as a military ambulance driver. Margery was unhappy in her first marriage and divorced Rand. She then married Dr. Crandon. She was his third wife, and his two divorces had apparently been acrimonious, so Margery may have worried about his constancy and her future with him.

Nevertheless, her marriage to Crandon provided her with two things she craved and hadn’t found with her first husband—prosperity and social recognition. Dr. Crandon was a distinguished Boston surgeon and Harvard man, well-connected and considerably older than Margery. Margery relished her newfound socialite status and welcomed many guests to their stately Victorian mansion at 10 Lime Street. Overnight, the Ontario farm girl became a fixture of Beacon Hill society, with a fashionable address, a wealthy husband, and the social access that came with them.

Margery launched her career as a spiritualist in the early years of her marriage to Crandon. Dr. Crandon wholeheartedly supported this endeavor and even had a carpenter build a special table for séances. The reasons Margery began holding séances are lost to history, but some say she relished her husband’s astonishment and admiration for the wonders she produced. Soon a voice began speaking through her—brash, joking, and irreverent. It said it was Walter.

Margery became a celebrity in Boston circles, and invitations to her séances were much sought after. Boston luminaries and colleagues of Roy Crandon were common attendees. A typical evening began at the dinner table, where the cook prepared excellent fare, and the doctor broke out wine from his cellar, which he’d managed to collect despite Prohibition. After the guests had enjoyed their sumptuous meal, the party trekked up to the fourth floor to sit around the séance table in a darkened room.

Dr. Crandon maintained careful contemporaneous records of all Margery’s séances, noting the extraordinary phenomena observed there: bells rang; tables tilted, and objects drifted. Walter whistled, cracked jokes, and delivered commentary in a gruff male voice. A Victrola played “Souvenir” and “Yes! We Have No Bananas.” Most startling of all, a live dove appeared and thumbprints were left in wax, prints that failed to match those of any person in attendance.

Margery was no shabby carnival act. She was a glamorous socialite. Her admirers included a magazine editor who wrote glowing accounts of her powers, and the press could not resist a story with so many enticing ingredients: a society beauty, a brilliant surgeon husband, and a dead brother. Unlike most spiritualists of the time, Margery did not charge attendees, which many took as a sign of her honesty and authenticity.

Yes, I had now decided that I would write about Margery, but how to tell the story? Should I have Margery narrate her tale? Should an omniscient voice hover over the whole story, giving the reader the inside scoop? I tried both approaches, and neither really took hold. I just wasn’t satisfied with either way of recounting this fascinating tale.

Then, surprise of surprises, Walter began speaking to me. He provided me with the first line of the novel: “Truth is, I understand Mina better than the whole lot of them, meaning those meddlers who wanted to know how the ‘Witch of Lime Street,’ as some dubbed her, acquired her psychic powers.” And I was off to the races. I won’t say the whole novel came as easily as that opening line, but it just made sense to have Walter tell the story. After all, he was a great wit who regularly appeared at Margery’s séances, and his salty repartee never failed to entertain the guests around the table. He and Margery had a close relationship, and he had access to her most private thoughts. Walter had a vested interest in Margery’s success, but he also worried about her.

Spiritualism had become wildly popular in the 1920s, but it had its detractors. Into the fray stepped the respected magazine Scientific American, which set out to test spiritualists and resolve the raging public debate. They offered $2,500 ($50,000 in today’s money!) for any medium who could produce a visible psychic manifestation under controlled conditions. The first several mediums the prize committee tested proved to be frauds. Then Dr. Crandon entered Margery into the contest. The committee expected her to be the first serious entrant.

The committee members devised all manner of tests, and Margery’s performance astounded them. But one member of the committee, Harry Houdini, insisted he be allowed to conduct his own tests. And Walter worried that Houdini would not give Margery a fair chance. The battle between Margery and Harry Houdini became the climax of my novel, and Walter did not disappoint at this crucial juncture.

I’m sure prospective readers wouldn’t want me to give away the ending, so I won’t. But in all my novels, I aim to stay true to the historical record. And the history of the epic battle between Margery and Houdini was worth all the struggles I encountered as I wrote the novel.

Maryka Biaggio is an award-winning novelist with a passion for history and the human spirit. She writes historical fiction inspired by real people—figures whose lives illuminate the complexities of their time. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Her novel Margery and Me, published by Regal House, has been hailed by distinguished author Valerie Martin as “a wry, lively, and wicked-good novel.”

Purchase Margery & Me from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk, or directly from Regal House Publishing.

Thank you, Maryka!

Related:

• The Margery Files
• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• REVIEW: The Witch of Lime Street is no fraud