Astonishing Essays – John Lovick (Volume 9)

For most of us, one of the best ways to learn is to study the work of the people who have gone before us. But deep, critical analysis of specific performers or performances are rare in magic. In music, painting, literature, film, dance, architecture, and other arts and disciplines, entire books have been written which examine, explore, and deconstruct single works of art. As far as we are aware, no one in magic has done that until now.

One of the masterpieces of modern magic is Penn & Teller’s “Quote of the Day”, just one of the many iconic pieces in this influential duo’s repertoire. It is an extremely entertaining and deceptive piece, which touches on topics that are controversial, topical, and hilarious. In Get Outta My Way, I’m Going to Hell, John Lovick puts this showstopper under the microscope and dissects it to discover why it works so well and glean lessons that you can learn from and apply to your own work.

In 80 pages, Lovick presents a uniquely in-depth, moment-by-moment, close analysis of that one unforgettable trick. His unprecedented essay includes a complete transcript of the original Penn & Teller routine, accompanied by detailed analysis of its scripting, structure, staging, audience interaction, ad-libbing, and more. But he also looks at the overall picture and discusses larger issues regarding, mentalism, prediction effects, premise, procedure, and performance. Get Out of My Way, I’m Going to Hell is a post-graduate lesson in magic as a performing art, revealing countless lessons for any thoughtful student and performer. And we hope that this will be the beginning of a new genre in magic that we all will benefit from.

“It seems to be a book about one trick. But it’s really about everything to do with performance. There are lessons in there for all of us. It’s terrific.”
Mac King