Here is Real Magic
Nate's debut memoir from Bloomsbury Publishing
is OUT NOW! Order your copy from one of the retailers below:
"This book is real magic. It performs the most wonderful trick: when you read it, you feel both entertained and hopeful.” —Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author of Side Hustle and The Happiness of Pursuit
“An assured and thoughtful work about finding true ‘awe and wonder.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A real gem; a great read that belongs on the shelf of creative inspiration right next to Art & Fear. As irresistible as his quest for magic is, it's Staniforth's urgent feeling for the craft, and the meaning behind it, that should make all artists—writers, actors, musicians, everyone—take note. He's exactly the travel companion you've always wanted.” —Glen David Gold, bestselling author of Carter Beats the Devil and Sunnyside
“Nate is one of my favorite magicians in the world. This is a beautiful, original book from a beautiful and original mind.” —Derren Brown
“A fascinating, expertly wrought and absorbing pursuit of the essence of wonder. Staniforth proves he is not only a magician by trade, but a tender writer with real talent.” —Signe Pike, author of Faery Tale
AN EXTRAORDINARY MEMOIR ABOUT FINDING WONDER IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Nate Staniforth has spent most of his life and all of his professional career trying to understand wonder—what it is, where to find it, and how to share it with others. He became a magician because he learned at a young age that magic tricks don’t have to be frivolous. Magic doesn’t have to be about sequins and smoke machines—rather, it can create a moment of genuine astonishment.
But after years on the road as a professional magician, crisscrossing the country and performing four or five nights a week, every week, Nate was disillusioned, burned out, and ready to quit. Instead, he went to India in search of magic. Here Is Real Magic follows Nate Staniforth’s evolution from an obsessed young magician to a broken wanderer and back again. It tells the story of his rediscovery of astonishment—and the importance of wonder in everyday life—during his trip to the slums of India, where he was welcomed by a three-thousand-year-old clan of street magicians. Here Is Real Magic is a call to all of us—to welcome awe back into our lives, to marvel in the everyday, and to seek magic all around us.