Chateau Elan sparkles at Christmastime after "The Lighting of the Chateau" event each November.

Despite a challenging 2009, this December looks to be a record-breaker. I am depending on you, loyal readers and clients, to help carry the momentum into 2010!

I’m already booking events into the summer of next year. Let’s talk about your 2010 trade shows, conferences, and conventions soon, while there is still some flexibility on dates.

Your friendly neighborhood Atlanta magician wishes you all the joy, blessings, and magic of the holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Last Thursday I appeared on CBS Atlanta News at 11 as part of a story related to the CBS series “The Mentalist.” The idea for the tie-in was to seek out people in Atlanta who shared one or more similar skills with Patrick Jane, the protagonist on the series.

Atlanta Mentalist and Magician Joe M. Turner on CBS Atlanta News

From an interview that lasted 75 minutes and involved several different demonstrations, the final report included only a couple of quotes and a couple of nice visuals. I was introduced during the first part of the segment as a performer specializing in using unusual mental techniques to create psychological effects to surprise and entertain audiences. (There are clips of me performing some word tests and psychokinetically bending a borrowed quarter.) The story then took a turn toward criminal profiling, matching the application of mental techniques represented in the television series. Keith Howard, a certified criminal profiler, was the subject of this portion of the story.

During much of the unaired portion of my lengthy interview, I covered many of the same content points that Howard mentioned, describing the search for non-verbal inconsistencies under some amount of tension as a “tell” — even in an entertainment context.

You can watch the full video report here and read the text here.

As it happened, my short interview and performance clips were used as the basis for all the teasers. I have uploaded a video compilation of the teasers and my portion of the report which you can view here.

(Thanks to Rick Silver, Joseph Daniels, and Max Maven, each of whom contributed to the success of this appearance!)

Atlanta CBS affiliate WGCL-TV 46 will air a special report on Thursday night, November 19. As a tie-in with the CBS series “The Mentalist,” they have scheduled an interview with Atlanta magician and mentalist Joe M. Turner to discuss mentalism as an entertainment phenomenon. Turner will discuss some of the historical and psychological aspects of the art of mentalism, offering a glimpse into the unusual world of mental perception, influence, and illusion.

Details to follow.

Are you following Joe on the various social networking sites? If not, please do:
Connect: Atlanta Magician Joe M. Turner on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

I recorded this video of a mental-themed illusion* at the request of another magician who was interested in my presentation for this routine. It’s a rough, off-the-cuff presentation but it was fun, so enjoy!

*My good friend Paul Cummins developed this excellent example of card mentalism.

I got back from performing trade show magic in Cleveland and looked at the calendar – the fourth quarter of 2009 kind of snuck up on me. I just finished jobs for NCR (now based near Atlanta) and Subnet Solutions (based in Calgary, Alberta), and other engagements are stacking up in December.

The schedule from now until New Year’s Eve is filling fast, but there are a couple of spots left. If your organization is planning a year-end event where I might be a corporate entertainment resource… call immediately (404 644 6791) to check your date. If I’m already booked, remember that my company also functions as an agency for other talented performers and speakers in various regions of the country. Let’s talk about what we can do for you and your event. (Here’s a fun option: Melody Knighton as Lucy or Dolly!)

Are you following me on the various social networking sites? If not, please do:
Connect: Atlanta Magician Joe M. Turner on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

I had a day off yesterday – a welcome breather in a week filled with 9 bookings! I took the opportunity to see two other performers “do their thing.” India-based mentalist Pradip Almadi spoke at a conference where I also performed. He’s in the country for a convention next week and happened to have an engagement in Atlanta. I also went over to Kennesaw State University last night to see Brian Brushwood, the ever-popular, freaky-fun magician to the college market.

Some upcoming performances:

	October 29 – Judgment Day, Tennessee Temple University, Chattanooga, TN. I’m part of a multi-day festival that is billed as a “Halloween alternative with an inspiring message.” Looking forward to being back in Chattanooga!
	November 1 – FBC Prattville, Prattville, AL – Sunday evening I’ll be doing a magic and mentalism show focusing on cult awareness and basic apologetics.
	November 4 – Marietta Business Association Expo, Cobb Civic Center, 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. I’ll be entertaining throughout the event as well as doing some MC work.
	November 7 – 172nd Airlift Wing, Jackson, MS – A repeat engagement for Family Day for the Mississippi Air National Guard!

As a corporate magician, speaker, and entertainer, most of my presentations are for private audiences at meetings and conferences. I have been asked several times during the past week when I will have some appearances open to the public. Here are a few upcoming opportunities.

	September 29 (rescheduled to November 4, see comments) – Marietta Business Association Expo, Cobb Civic Center, 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. I’ll be entertaining throughout the event as well as doing some MC work.
	October 8-11 – Ken Hartley’s “Supernatural,” Abba’s House, Chattanooga, TN, 7:00 PM each night. I’ll be performing close-up magic prior to the show as well as being a guest performer on the stage show.
	(POSTPONED) – Shenanigans at Red Clay Theatre, Duluth, GA. This performance has been postponed. If you have already purchased a ticket, contact the box office to obtain a refund or apply your purchase to the rescheduled show.

Meanwhile, don’t forget that I’m now appearing at Paisano’s on Cedarcrest on Saturday nights when I am in town. 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM each Saturday. If you are making a special trip to see me there, call me to confirm that I’m going to be there.

JMT outside the Palace of Mystery at the Magic Castle

What happened? Summer zipped by so fast that the blog has been neglected a bit. Make sure you’re on my Facebook fan page or following me on Twitter to get more frequent updates.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of this summer’s highlights.

• Taught Abra-CAMP-Dabra, a three-day magic camp for residents of Seven Hills community
• Performed at Theater on Main in Acworth — and have already been asked back!
• Performed on a summer sunset cruise for Windsong Sailing Academy
• Was installed onto the Executive Committee of the International Brotherhood of Magicians at their convention in Nashville
• Performed for a group of Latvian kids being hosted by Simple Obedience Ministries, a charity near to my heart
• Performed my annual summer illusion show Midsummer Magic! at the Dallas Theater
• Delivered my “Memory Mojo!” talk for the Executive Roundtable series at the Georgian Club
• Performed a sold-out run at the Black Rose Theater in Brandon, Mississippi
• Delivered my “MAGIC of Change” talk for GMMSCA in Savannah, GA
• Performed during Burnt Hickory Baptist’s middle school choir mission trip in Jacksonville
  Became the first Mississippian and the first Georgia magician to perform in all three showrooms at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA
• Was featured on Public Broadcasting Atlanta’s “This Is Atlanta” program in an excellent documentary segment about the Georgia Magic Club
• Served as magic consultant and technical advisor on an episode of Drop Dead Diva for Lifetime television; met guest star Paula Abdul during the taping (right after she got a call from Donald Trump!)

As you can see, it’s been non-stop! That list doesn’t include the logistics of family trips, a hospital stay for my son (now doing fine!), and so many other great appearances that I just can’t list them all.

If you are a member of a professional organization, association or other group that hosts meetings and conventions on a quarterly or annual basis, I’d like to talk to you about connecting with your group’s leadership. In the words of Georgian Club membership director Beverly Huff:

“As a speaker, Joe delivered one of the best Executive Roundtable presentations we’ve ever had at the Club. I also saw him entertaining and serving as the MC at a fundraising event and he was just fantastic. If you want your event to be first class, he’s your man.”

Joe M. Turner and two of his colleagues were recently featured in a documentary about magic in the Atlanta area. The segment is featured on “This Is Atlanta,” a production of WABE – Public Broadcasting Atlanta. It will air repeatedly during July and August 2009.

“Some of you may know that I was elected to the executive committee of the International Brotherhood of Magicians at their recent convention. But even before that, I was active in the organization; I currently serve as the Territorial Vice President for the state of Georgia, and am a past president of Atlanta’s “Ring 9,” also known as the Georgia Magic Club. Here’s part of a note I sent to the executive committee about this latest press hit.” — Joe M. Turner IBM Ring 9 (The Georgia Magic Club) recently received an excellent bit of local promotion via a documentary piece on Public Broadcasting Atlanta. At the January meeting, a producer from “This is Atlanta” attended our ring meeting and shot some video for a proposed segment on magic in Atlanta. Current Ring 9 president Debbie Leifer arranged it and was careful to let them know that we wanted to be protective of the secrets while also emphasizing the openness of the club to visitors and potential new members. After the meeting, the producer and Debbie invited Ken Scott and myself to participate in more indepth interviews and additional performance segments.

The finished product will air in Atlanta during July and August, but it is now available for viewing online. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. This link takes you straight to the page where you can read about the segment and click to view the video. The segment treats both the club and the art of magic with a wonderful combination of humor and respect. I extend my congratulations to Debbie Leifer for her success in bringing some great local press to IBM Ring 9, and to all the other Ring 9 members whose appearances in the piece represented our art and our organization so well to the viewing public.

Edited —

Click here to view video on YouTube.

Joe M. Turner speaks on memory training techniques for businesspeople at the Georgian Club in Atlanta on July 14 at 11:30 AM.

Corporate speaker and entertainer Joe M. Turner has been featured on Good Morning America, Nightline, and CNN Headline News. His sleight-of-hand skills and psychological illusions have made him a popular feature at corporate meetings and events nationwide. Joe will give a short sample of his memory improvement workshop. In addition to presenting some amazing mental demonstrations, Joe will teach some basic techniques including: Creative Association: Never forget where you parked again! The Loci Method: Give presentations and speeches with no notes. Plus great information on remembering lists, numbers, and names. $19.95 per person includes a lunch buffet. Reservations are required.