The Secret of Ventriloquism


Book Description

With themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Thomas Ligotti, and Bruno Shulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism heralds the arrival of a significant new literary talent. Padgett's work explores the mystery of human suffering, the agony of personal existence, and the ghastly means by which someone might achieve salvation from both. A bullied child who seeks vengeance within a bed's hollow box spring; a lucid dreamer haunted by an impossible house; a dummy that reveals its own anatomy in 20 simple steps; a stuttering librarian who holds the key to a mill town's unspeakable secrets; a commuter whose worldview is shattered by two words printed on a cardboard sign; an aspiring ventriloquist who spends a little too much time looking at himself in a mirror. And the presence that speaks through them all.




How to Become a Ventriloquist


Book Description

Easy-to-follow guide offers expert advice from an internationally renowned performer. Helpful tips on "near" ventriloquism, the doll dummy, hand puppets, shadowgraphs and cardboard dummies, staging and entertainment, "distant" ventriloquism, more. 48 illustrations.




Vaudeville Ventriloquism; a Practical Treatise on the Art of Ventriloquism


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




The Great Lester: Ventriloquism's Renaissance Man


Book Description

In this engrossing "fictional memoir" based on original sources, Harry Eugene Lester paints a rich picture of his life and times as the world's premiere ventriloquist in the heyday of vaudeville and beyond. Not only will "vents" and historians appreciate this book, but also, as it's a delight to read, anyone who likes to read personal reflections of a life well lived can enjoy The Great Lester: Ventriloquism's Renaissance Man. The Great Lester was a Renaissance man-a free spirit-a creative person who originated a ventriloquist act that both changed and enlightened American ventriloquism, even as he wrestled with the changing times and his own inner world. What makes that character different from the rest of us? What are the secrets of his talent? What is creative vision, and where does it come from? Based on original research, including access to newspaper and magazine accounts and previously unpublished correspondence, and primary source tape recordings made by Lester, The Great Lester: Ventriloquism's Renaissance Man presents the first fully integrated portrait of this American icon of ventriloquism. Few performers lived such a large and eventful life while transportation and electricity changed the world. Lester's early life was one of restless adventure going to new places following traveling entertainment-first with the circus, then Dime Museums, and then American vaudeville and music halls in Europe. He traveled the world, becoming famous and wealthy, and then becoming penniless as the fashions in show business changed. Lester possessed an evangelical zeal to share his approaches regarding acquiring the art and craft of ventriloquism. His most famous student was Edgar Bergen, fresh from high school in 1922. Lester spent his last years teaching ventriloquism students one on one at his studio in Hollywood. Erskine brings Lester to life as never before. He also details parts of Lester's personality that cannot be easily understood-his defiance of rules regarding his career and his inability to change with the fashions in show business.




Close-Up Magic Secrets


Book Description

"A professional performer presents tricks for magicians at every level of skill, especially novices. Intended for performances in bars, restaurants, and other close-up venues, these 29 routines include original tricks as well as tried-and-true crowd pleasers. Over 300 photographs illustrate clear instructions for illusions involving cards, money, fire, mind reading, and comedy"--




The Success Secret


Book Description

"The world's leading experts reveal their secrets for success in business and in life." -- Cover




The Art of Ventriloquism


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Top Secrets


Book Description




Puppet Graveyard


Book Description

Five months after her sister Gloria disappeared, Kitty Seevers receives a lock of Gloria's hair in the mail. No return address. Just a cryptic message that brings Kitty to the Bamboo Lounge and into the twisted realm of ventriloquist Ronny McBane and his dummy, Piggy. Kitty descends into a haunted place where reality is frayed, where the puppetmaster and puppet seem to have reversed roles—a nightmare place where a dummy moves and speaks when his master is nowhere near him. Kitty suspects not only is there something wrong with McBane and his dummy, but a greater evil is at work as those named by the dummy are dying horrible deaths. And now she has been named by the same soul-eater that destroyed her sister.




House of Leaves


Book Description

“A novelistic mosaic that simultaneously reads like a thriller and like a strange, dreamlike excursion into the subconscious.” —The New York Times Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children. Now this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and second and third appendices. The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.