Introduction
In this episode of The Magic Book Podcast, Margaret B. Steele discusses her journey from Juilliard-trained musician to magic historian and author. Her latest book, The Great Boomsky: The Many Lives of Magic's First Black Superstar, explores the untold stories of Alexander and Adelaide Herrmann's assistants, and has earned her the 2024 Milbourne Christopher Literary Award.
From Music to Magic
Rather than transitioning from music to magic, Margaret describes it as an expansion, pursuing parallel careers for 20 years. Her earliest shows merged both art forms, working in music education with symphony orchestras before becoming a children's entertainer.
I worked in music education with various symphony orchestras and especially their outreach ensembles in schools ... I had to work commercially as a party entertainer. I say I had to, but I loved it!
This dual career path allowed Margaret to develop both as a musician and magician, creating unique performances that drew from both art forms.
The Adelaide Herrmann Connection
Margaret's connection to Adelaide Herrmann began with what she calls a Herrmann-ic convergence when premier Herrmann scholar - the late James Hamilton - recognized similarities between their performances:
This older gentleman came up to me with tears in his eyes, and he said, "I feel as though Adelaide Herrmann came back to life tonight to perform just for me."
This serendipitous encounter with James Hamilton opened up access to his extensive Herrmann research and led to weekly conversations Margaret called Herrmann-izing that would continue for 17 years until his death in 2017.
The Journey to The Great Boomsky
The Great Boomsky took five years of full-time work to complete, emerging from Margaret's extensive research on the Herrmann dynasty.
The biggest challenge was that this story happened during the era of segregation in America, and everything was segregated including the press. Certainly, the magic societies at that point did not allow African Americans.
The breakthrough in research came when African American newspapers were digitized, providing access to previously hidden historical records and stories.
Research and Writing Process
Margaret approached the book as narrative nonfiction, a departure from traditional magic history writing. She explains:
Narrative nonfiction is maybe the fastest growing genre in literature right now, and it fills the gap between standard history writing and historical fiction. So narrative nonfiction is a true story that reads like a novel. It's a story that's spun onto a framework of facts.
This approach allowed Margaret to place Boomsky at the center of the narrative rather than on the periphery, where supporting characters often remained in traditional historical accounts.
The Willis Discovery
One of the book's most significant revelations was identifying Isaac Willis as The Great Boomsky, a successful magician whose name had been omitted from magic literature. His discovery came through another Herrmann-ic convergence in Nova Scotia, where his family preserved his legacy:
Isaac Willis and his wife, Blanche, that he met when he was on tour in 1905 in Nova Scotia, raised eight children and now they have over 300 living descendants... and they are incredibly proud.
The Willis family has been instrumental in preserving their ancestor's legacy, with three of his granddaughters making such significant contributions that Margaret dedicated the book to them, though they passed away before its publication.
Personal Transformation
Writing The Great Boomsky profoundly affected Margaret's understanding of racial issues and implicit bias.
I was hugely transformed. It's just indescribable how much writing this book changed me.
Through guidance from sensitivity readers and extensive research, Margaret developed a deeper understanding of privilege and perspective that shaped both the book's content and her worldview.
Looking Forward
Margaret continues her work through Floating Lady Publishing, with plans for three more books. These include a new edition of Adelaide Herrmann's memoir, plus "Femme Magic," a book of routines adapted for female performers, and her own memoir. Margaret is also planning to create educational content to help others research magic history through her upcoming YouTube series, Magic History Research 101.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
Adelaide Herrmann: Queen of Magic by Margaret B. Steele
The Great Boomsky: The Many Lives of Magic's First Black Superstar by Margaret B. Steele
The Herrmann Chronicles by James Hamilton, edited by Michael Claxton
White Like Me by Tim Wise
Illusion Show by David Bamberg
Milo & Roger: A Magical Life by Arthur Brandon
Those Glorious Dames by Frances Marshall
Herrmann The Magician: His Life, His Secrets by H.J. Burlingame
Metamorphosis: The Apprenticeship of Harry Houdini by Bruce MacNab
Timestamps:
00:04: Introduction
01:55: Transition from music to magic
03:20: Discovery of Adelaide Herrmann
10:34: Origins of The Great Boomsky
12:45 : Choice of narrative nonfiction
15:34 : Challenges in researching during segregation era
22:00: Five-year writing process
23:30: Discovery of Isaac Willis
26:34: Research methodology
31:14: Impact of performance experience on writing
36:34: Discussion of ageism in magic
39:17: Decision to create Floating Lady Publishing
45:27: Future projects including a new edition of Adelaide Herrmann: Queen of Magic
Other Resources
You can also hear Margaret interviewed on BBC World Service's The History Hour episode, Magic, illusion and tigers.