A pocketable book on aesthetics and practice in card magic.

The early version of Mainspring was published in 2017 as an edition of less than 100 copies, for sale at lectures by Alex Hansford. For this 2022 version, every section has been rewritten, updated and expanded, with new chapters added.

Conversations from a series of lectures given in Australia, Beirut, Vienna, London and Spain formed the foundations for this book. This edition is the result of countless conversations with magicians, painters, cinematographers, skateboarders, musicians, theatre directors and the like over the past five years.

The contents spread outside of magic and speak to the permeability of the creative worlds. We start out with magic, but soon see that the motivators that drive us lie at the core of all arts. State of mind, our relationship to our audiences and to our material, battling nerves and the opinions of our peers, our work ethic. There are no magic tricks inside Mainspring.

This is a handbook of handling adjustments, exercises, essays and stories. How to remove tension from sleight of hand, communicate presence, and get out of your head.

When Dai Vernon said “Be Natural,” what does that really mean? This book is a stab at an answer.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
2022 Preface
Objectively Cool
Whiplash
Sprezzatura
Flow
Softness
Pace
Gravity and Momentum
Cardistry
Guilt
Mind your Head
Bigger Picture
It is Not a Move
Respect
Nervousness
Conversational Magic
‘Performance Mode’
Genuine Interaction
Look How Clever I Am
Just for Fun
The Better We Want To Be
Social Intelligence
Diminishing Returns
Expectations
For the Art
Negativity
The Importance of Doing your Own Work