Crossroads
Crosswords
A Routine for Mentalists by
Bob Cassidy
Copyright©2003 by The Sacred Chao, L.L.C. All rights reserved including
everything you could possibly think of, and then some.
What impossible matter will he make easy next?
- The Tempest, Act II, Scene I, line 70
Begin with a method and you must then consider a possible effect.
Begin with impossible effects, and the methods take care of themselves.
- Dr. Crow
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Crossroads Crosswords
THE BASIC EFFECT
From among several examinable copies of current crossword magazines, one or more
spectators think of clues from any of the puzzles. (There are at least seventy in each
book) Nothing is written down, no memory is involved and there are no forces. The
selections are truly free and every puzzle in each book is different. Yet, under these
apparently impossible conditions, the mentalist immediately reveals the answer to the
secret clue.
How I Discovered the Reality of Impossible Things
The preceding effect is a  seeming impossibility . Not that  seeming
impossibilities are all that rare nowadays, but many magicians, mentalists
(and members of the general public who watch  The Discovery Channel )
have come to believe that if something looks impossible, it s most likely a
hoax or a magic trick.
Two days ago, I might have agreed with them, but yesterday I actually
experienced an impossible occurrence. It wasn t  seemingly impossible,
 apparently impossible, or  allegedly impossible, but really, truly and
completely impossible.
It appeared in the guise of an e-mail, from which the following is an
excerpt:
When I first read up on mentalism three names came up as
pioneers in this field: Ted Annemann, Bob Cassidy and Max
Maven. I was so happy to see your name pop up on the Magic Cafe
board. Please don't take this the wrong way but I assumed you
were a dead old timer like Annemann.
Crosswords Crossroads isn t quite as impossible as that, but it comes close.
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Bob Cassidy
There are many variations to the basic effect. In actual practice, I take a
 jazz mentalism approach, and am never really quite sure where the effect is
going to take me. But before we get into the  jazz variations employing
borrowed magazines, dictionaries and alternate handlings, it s best that you
master the basic handling and method.
The method combines two classic principles. The first is the peek principle
originally utilized in a card effect invented by Dr. Franklin V. Taylor. It was first
published in the 1940 s in Bruce Elliot s Phoenix and, in 1949, was described
at length and with several variations in J.G. Thompson s My Best.
Danny Tong was the first to apply the principle to a book test in his  Peek
a Book which appeared in the late 1970 s. There were both impromptu and
prepared book versions of the effect. The most recent development of the
idea is by Larry Becker and is used in his excellent book tests  Flashback
and  Ultimate Flashback.
In Crossroads Crosswords, a variation of the impromptu peek principle is
used and works as follows:
The performer holds the magazine parallel to the floor at waist level, the
cover facing upward and the binding facing the performer. The spectator is
asked to insert a business card into the magazine and to leave it protruding.
As the performer raises the magazine to the spectator s eye level, he pulls
back on the card slightly and asks the spectator to remember the number of
the crossword puzzle now facing him. At the same time, the performer is able
to peek the number of the puzzle on the facing page and, thus, knows which
puzzle the spectator is looking at. We ll get back to this in much more detail in
a moment.
The second principle used in Crossroads Crosswords originally appeared
in an effect by Orville Meyer called  Symmyst. It was first published by Ted
Annemann in his Jinx magazine and later (in 1944) by Max Holden in
Annemann s Practical Mental Effects, where it appears on page 64. The idea
was later refined by David Hoy in his The Mental Magic of Dr. Faustus.
As used in the Meyer and Hoy routines (and later in a very deceptive
variant by John Pomeroy, described in his interestingly idiosyncratic book
Mentology) three books or magazines are used. Depending on the routine,
either two or three of them are identical. All, however, have different covers.
In its most basic handling the principle is used like this:
A spectator selects a magazine and is asked to call out a page number.
He is told to open the magazine to that page and to  hold it so no one can see
the page. The performer illustrates by picking up a duplicate magazine and
opening it to that page, thus obtaining the information he requires to
successfully complete the test.
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Crossroads Crosswords
In the crossword effect, as in  Symmyst , the performer secretly peeks at a
page selected by a spectator and obtains the information he needs by looking
at a duplicate magazine. I say  basically because it is actually a bit more
complex than that  the second magazine isn t, strictly speaking, a duplicate,
and the secret information is obtained before  from the audience s point of
view - anything has happened at all. The handling and presentation of
Crossroads Crosswords is an integral part of the method and is what makes it
as deceptive as it is.
Here is how the magazines are constructed:
You will need to buy several copies of current crossword puzzle
magazines. They cost between a dollar and two dollars apiece. You will note
that most of the magazines are about the same size and that the really
popular ones seem to be those that contain  Easy crosswords. Why these
are popular is a mystery to me. Some of them even tout the fact that  no
dictionary is required. What is the point of easy crossword puzzles? Difficult
puzzles make sense  they involve a challenge and an opportunity to build
one s vocabulary. Easy puzzles, on the other hand, strike me as a waste of
time. But for the purposes of the effect, they are perfect. Difficult puzzles,
while you could use them if you wanted to, have the potential of slowing down
and complicating the effect.
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Bob Cassidy
You must buy two identical copies of one of the magazines and make sure
that one of the other magazines you purchase is the same size as the
duplicates. This is because you will remove the cover from one of the
duplicates and replace it with the cover of a different magazine. When you are
finished, you will have at least three magazines, two of which are identical in
content, and all of which have different covers.
In the photograph on the preceding page, the center magazine and the
one on the right are the duplicates. I laminated the covers to prolong their
lives  the covers of this type of magazine are typically a bit flimsy  they tear
and bend rather easily. Since the covers of the magazines are shiny anyway,
the lamination isn t really noticeable.
As I said earlier, the magazines aren t exactly duplicates. That s because
one of them is in pristine condition  none of the puzzles have been
completed. In the other  the one in the center in the photo  all of the
puzzles have been completed. This is the most time consuming part of the
preparation. If you like, you can waste a few hours every night doing the
puzzles or, do as I did and just copy the answers from the answer key in the
back of the magazine. Since you have a duplicate magazine, you can copy
from one to the other without having to waste time turning back and forth from
the answers to the puzzles.
In the basic version of the effect, the audience is not aware of the fact that
one of the magazines has completed puzzles in it. (They will be aware of the
fact in some of the variant presentations.)
In most magazines or book tests using the impromptu version of the peek
principle, it is necessary to use magazines that have the page numbers at the
upper outside margins of each page. This is so you can easily see the
number on the facing page when the spectator peeks at his page. It is also
important that the typeface be large enough so that you can quickly make out
the number  especially for those of us whose vision isn t what it used to be.
In the crossword puzzle magazines, however, this is not a problem. That s
because you won t be looking at page numbers, you ll be looking at puzzle
numbers, and, as you will see, these are significantly larger than page
numbers. In some magazines, the puzzle numbers appear top center; in
others, they appear top left or right. Either can be used, but the peek is a bit
subtler if the numbers are at the outer margins.
Following is a photograph of a two-page spread from the duplicate
magazine (with puzzles completed) that I use. Note the extremely large
puzzle numbers.
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Crossroads Crosswords
Even though this is a significantly
reduced photograph of the pages, the puzzle
numbers are still completely and quickly
identifiable.
The following sequence of photographs
show the basic way of obtaining a peek from the
blank duplicate of this magazine as it is opened at
a spot freely selected by a spectator and held up
to his or her chest. The spectator is cautioned not
to look at the pages they have selected just yet,
but to hold the magazine against his or her body
until the performer has moved away and instructed him or her to look at the
selected two-page spread.
Figure one shows how the magazine is extended to a spectator so that a
business or credit card can be inserted into the long side of the magazine,
 somewhere near the middle
The actions depicted in figures two, three and four take place as the
magazine is lifted to face the spectator and moved against his or her body,
where he or she is asked to hold it firmly, without looking at the pages just
yet. (Watch your hands if you re using a female volunteer lest you be accused
of attempting to cop a cheap feel. This, of course, is dependent on your
performance venue and the level of taste at which you present your
mentalism.)
Note how the peek of the facing page number is obtained. The card is
NOT pulled straight back to facilitate the peek. Instead, it is simply revolved
about 45 degrees toward the performer  the card is revolved back to its
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Bob Cassidy
original position at the same time that the left hand is moving to the top center
of the back cover, the right hand then adjusting to hold the magazine by the
center of the right side of the cover, as shown in figure four. The card is either
pocketed or tossed aside once the volunteer is holding the magazine securely
against his or her chest.
The peek is somewhat different that the peek used in  Peek-a-Book or
 Flashback . In those effects, the spectator is asked to think of the first word
or the page number of the page facing them as the book is opened. In this
version, the spectator is not given an opportunity to see anything, and it
should appear impossible for the performer to see anything either. As a
matter of fact, the performer, once the peek has been made, should turn his
head away as he completes the upward movement of the magazine toward
the spectator s chest.
(Note that the same peek can be made while putting the magazine down
onto a table, an alternate presentational approach. There are a few other
ways of getting the peek that I ll get to in the variations.)
Before I give you the presentation and handling, I want to emphasize a
very important point  in the basic routine, and in the variants using borrowed
magazines and/or a dictionary, etc., ALL of the secret work is done BEFORE
a word or clue is actually looked up by the volunteer.
The basics should now be clear to you. Here, then, is the accompanying
handling and presentation. As always, I have put the performer s spoken
words in bold-faced type.
Presentation and Handling
 One of the best mental exercises I know involves crossword puzzles.
How many of you do crosswords regularly? Do you use a pen or a
pencil? The reason I ask is that people who do crossword puzzles with a
pen fall into two types - the extremely confident, and those who just
don t have a pencil.
 But if you really want a mental challenge that will sharpen your
memory and improve your ability to visualize, the next time you do a
crossword puzzle, don t use a pen or a pencil. Try to do the whole thing
in your head.
 I know that sounds a bit difficult, but after a while you ll find you can
even take it a step further. You may find, as I did, that sometimes you
can do the puzzle, or at least part of it, without looking at the puzzle at
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Crossroads Crosswords
all. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous, but let me show you what I
mean.
 On my way here tonight I picked up a few crossword puzzle magazines.
I specifically picked ones that featured easy crosswords. While they
don t offer much of a challenge if you are accustomed to doing the
 Times puzzle, they re challenging enough when you use them like this.
 Here, take one of them . . . 
The last remark is directed to the spectator you ve decided to use in the
routine. This will be a spectator who, by prior observation, you have
determined to be either right handed or left handed. (In an earlier effect, you
may have asked him or her to initial something or have simply noticed
another clue indicating the spectator s  handedness. During your opening
remarks you ve exhibited three crossword puzzle magazines to the audience
and casually flipped through two of them as you spoke. When you asked the
spectator to take one of them, your goal was for the spectator to select the
duplicated magazine containing blank puzzles.
I just hand that magazine to the spectator. Since no one knows what you
are doing anyway, there is no need to make a big deal about the selection of
a magazine. Obviously, you can give all three magazines to the spectator and
use Annemann s  take two, and hand me one equivoque, but it s not
necessary and adds an unnecessary complication to the routine.
After I hand the proper magazine to the spectator, I take the odd
magazine  the one that is NOT a duplicate of the spectator s, and hand it to
someone else, saying,  Here, you take one, too. You might want to try
this later for yourself, or words to that effect.
Toss the remaining magazine  the duplicate of the spectator s, but in
which the puzzles have been completed  onto your table, or somewhere else
within the performing area where it is out of the audience s reach. Remove a
credit card from your pocket and approach the spectator to whom you handed
the first magazine.
 Look through the magazine. How many puzzles are in there?
Seventy-three? And how many clues are there in each puzzle? Just look
at any one of them and tell us how many clues there are across and how
many down
If you think about it, this isn t an easy question to answer accurately
without actually counting all of the clues. That s because even though the
highest across clue, for example, might be number 53, that doesn t mean
there are 53 across clues. There may not be a 2 or 3 across for example.
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Bob Cassidy
Similarly, the highest of the down clues might be 50, but that doesn t mean
there are 50 down clues. But no one ever seems to notice this in the context
of the performance, and they usually answer, for example,  Fifty-three across
and fifty down.
If, as will happen upon occasion, you get a spectator who realizes that the
highest numbered clues don t indicate the total number, he or she might
actually start counting them. If that happens, use a variant of a line I have
used in other book tests when I ask a spectator how many pages are in a
book   Don t count them, just look at the number on the highest clue. It
tells you. This will get a laugh and should prompt the spectator to just tell
you the highest across and down numbers. If he or she starts to explain to
you that it doesn t work that way, let them. Then say,  See, this is getting
confusing already, and we haven t even started yet. There s lots of
clues, though, aren t there?
They can t argue with that. But no matter how the colloquy goes, you ve
made the point of showing that there are many different puzzles in the
magazine and there are about a hundred clues in each.
 Okay. I ll trade you. Give me the magazine and I ll give you my credit
card. Don t think you re getting the better end of the deal. American
Express called me the other day and told me to leave home without it.
 Just insert the credit card somewhere into the middle of the
magazine. Leave half of it sticking out like a bookmark. Good.
 I don t want you to look at the puzzles on those pages yet, so just
hold the magazine up against your chest. Don t peek.
Here, of course, you ve done the peek sequence as explained earlier.
We ll assume that you have spotted the number 42. Thus, you know that
page 42 is the right hand page facing the spectator. As far as the audience is
concerned, though, it must appear as if nobody could possibly know where
the magazine has been opened.
Now point to someone else in the audience and say,
 We know that there are at least fifty clues across and down in each
puzzle. Would you just call out any number from one to fifty? Thirty-
eight? Good.
Pick up the duplicate magazine with the completed puzzles from your
table. Turn back to the spectator holding the opened magazine against her
chest and say,
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Crossroads Crosswords
 Now, here s what I want you to do. In just a moment, you are going to
open the magazine and look at a puzzle. You will find clue number 38,
either across or down. There may be both a 38 down and a 38 across, or
there may be a 38 down and no 38 across or vice versa. If you have a
choice, think of either one of the clues. Otherwise, just think of the one
you find.
 Once you have found the clue, look for the place in the puzzle where
the answer would go. See if you can figure out what that answer is. If
you are not sure of the answer, turn to the answer key in the back of the
magazine and look it up.
As you are explaining this, illustrate what the spectator is to do by paging
through the magazine you are holding. Turn to the page containing the puzzle
whose number you peeked earlier  in this case puzzle 42, which is the
RIGHT HAND puzzle on the spread where the spectator has opened the
magazine. Don t pay any attention to the clues; just note what the answers
are to 38 across and 38 down. If there is only one or the other, you will only
have to remember one answer. There will always be at least one answer,
either across or down, for the number selected.
Going back for a moment to the important point I made earlier, the point
that makes this effect so deceptive  the spectator, as far as the audience is
concerned, has not yet selected a puzzle or an across or down clue. In fact
you already know that the spectator is going to select puzzle number 42
(you ll see how in just a moment, but this is why you selected a spectator who
you already knew was right handed), and you have just discovered the
answer (s) to clue 38. As I said, you know all you need to know BEFORE the
selection is apparently made. Toss your magazine aside and continue:
 Oh, one last thing  are you right handed or left handed? Right
handed? Okay. Look at the puzzle then, on the right hand page where
you opened the magazine and look up clue 38  either across or down.
One or the other. Read the clue to yourself, and then see if you can
figure out the answer. Don t move your lips  read silently. Otherwise,
this is just too easy.
 If you are not sure of the answer, look it up in the back of the
magazine. If the spectator turns to the back of the magazine to check the
answer, continue by saying,  As I said, this is a book of EASY crossword
puzzles. If the answers you have peeked at seem to be a bit obscure you
might want to ask the spectator to double check his or her answer even if they
are already sure,  Just to be on the safe side and to keep us both from
looking stupid as we do an allegedly EASY crossword.
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Bob Cassidy
Note the exact language used in the paragraph printed in red. The
volunteer is apparently being asked to make a series of selections FOR THE
FIRST TIME  Right handed or left handed; either across or down; one of the
other; see if you know the answer. This is a very convincing part of the
routine so pay close attention to the language to get the most out of it.
[Remember, when you are doing mentalism, you aren t just working to
their eyes and ears, you are also working to their memories.
Phraseology like this is one of the elements that make people remember
effects the wrong way. When they later describe them to their friends,
the things they describe are actually impossibilities.]
From this point on you can conclude the effect in any manner you wish. If
there was only a 38 down, you already know the answer and how many
letters are in the word. You could first have the spectator concentrate on the
number of letters, and then on the letters themselves as you write your
impressions on a pad. Put your writing face down on someone s lap and then
ask the spectator to read out the clue  just the clue  to the audience. Then
ask her how many letters were in the answer and ask the audience what they
think the answer is. Many of them will guess it correctly.
Now ask the volunteer to call out the answer and say, for example,
addressing those who guessed the answer correctly:
 Yes, you got it right! But you did it the easy way. You knew the clue
and the number of letters in the answer. But I wrote something down
even before our subject selected a puzzle or a clue. Would you show
everyone what I wrote, please?
This latter instruction, of course, goes to the spectator who is holding your
writing pad.
If, as it may have happened, there was both a 38 down and a 38 across in
the puzzle, you will have to do a simple pump in order to determine the
correct word. If the two possible answers contain different numbers of letters,
one has five and one has four, for example, simply say  I get the impression
that there are four letters in the answer. Address this to the volunteer and
put an upward inflection at the end of the sentence, so it sounds a bit like a
question. As soon as the spectator says  Yes or  No, cut her off and say,
 No, don t tell me if I am right or wrong, just think if I am right or wrong.
Like I said before, don t say anything aloud. Just think  yes or  no. (This
is one of the best ways to handle a pump  make it look like the spectator
was supposed to KNOW that she wasn t to say anything out loud. You DID
tell her earlier not to read her clue or answer aloud. Now you are just implying
that you told her not to say ANYTHING aloud.)
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Crossroads Crosswords
If, on the other hand, both of the words contain the same number of
letters, just do the pump on the second letter or last letter of the word. Don t
pump for the first letter  for some reason this just doesn t look right. Either
way, when the subject answers, cut her off like you did before, reminding her
that she is not to speak her answers aloud.
When you do the pump as described, there is the possibility of developing
a humorous situation a minute later when you ask her to read the clue to the
audience. If she hesitates, as she might because you remonstrated her a bit
earlier for answering you aloud, say  No, now you can say it aloud. They
are not supposed to be the mind readers.
Puzzle # 42 from the magazine I use
is pictured to the left. If you look for
clue number 38, you will see that
there is only a 38 across. This is the
only clue, then, that the spectator
can select.
In this case, the answer may not be
immediately apparent just by
reading the clue. The clue reads
 Guerrilla s group and the answer is
the four-letter word  Army. This is
an example where you would want
the spectator to double check the
answer in the back of the book.
While it is apparent from the
surrounding answers that  Army is
indeed the correct answer, this is not
so apparent when you are looking at
a puzzle that is totally blank, unless
you are, as I suggested as a mental
exercise at the beginning of the
routine, doing the entire puzzle
mentally.
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Bob Cassidy
The Variations
Doing the effect with borrowed magazines or magazines purchased by
the event planner or an audience member specifically for the show
Very often, an effect of this nature can be pumped up by making it appear
that you are doing it with borrowed magazines or with magazine purchased
by the event planner before the performance and previously unseen by the
performer.
Whenever I want to do this, I simply add my two duplicate magazines to the
magazines provided to me. People who have crossword magazines lying
around the house usually have several of them. If you keep the covers on
your duplicates up to date, you will very often find that the covers match one
of the spectator s magazines.
If the host of a house party does, in fact, have crossword magazines, ask her
if she has any she hasn t finished yet. It is unlikely that she will have any that
are completely blank. This is good.
Here s why  in such a case you can hand ALL of the magazines (both your
two duplicates and the host s magazines) to an audience member and ask
him or her to see if they can find one that hasn t been completed yet. The only
one, in this case, that will have none of the puzzles completed will be your
duplicate  the one you just handed to the subject in the basic version of the
effect. When you ask, finally,  Have you found one that has lots of unfinished
puzzles in it? they will say they have and it will be the one you want them to
use  yours.
If there are several magazines with unfinished puzzles, ask whoever sorts
them out to hand the magazines containing blank puzzles to you. Then
proceed as in the basic effect. Pick up one of the  finished magazines when
you give your example to the subject of how she is to look up her clue and
answer. You pick out your duplicate, obviously. (This is the case I mentioned
earlier, in which it is seen that the puzzles in your book have been
completed.)
When magazines are specifically purchased for use in a show, all you have to
do is tell the event planner beforehand which magazines to buy. Before the
show purchase two of the same magazines that were on the list you gave to
the planner, Switch their covers, and in one of them fill in all of the puzzles.
Put this magazine into your briefcase.
During the program, ask the person who purchased the magazines to bring
them forward. Have him or her verify that you have not seen the magazines
until now. (Never mention, of course, that you asked the planner to buy
14
Crossroads Crosswords
specific magazines. Just say that you asked her to purchase several copies
of the different crossword puzzle magazines she would find at any
supermarket.) Show the magazines to the audience as in the basic
presentation and then hand the one whose contents match the magazine in
your briefcase to your subject. Toss the rest of the magazines into the
briefcase; casually saying something like,  These should keep my wife busy
for the next year or so.
When the time comes to show the subject what to do, simply remove your
magazine  whose cover matches one of the magazines purchased by the
planner  and whose completed contents match the subject s magazine.
Alternate Peeks
In some situations, particularly at intimate house parties or in a television
spot, it is preferable to lay the opened magazine onto a table rather than
against a spectator s chest. In many cases you will not have to resort to the
usual peek, since the numbers of the puzzles at the freely selected page
spread will be reflected in a glass or glossy table top.
[Many of you will also remember, from an effect marketed years ago by Syd Bergson,
how a piece of Silly Putty concealed in your hand can literally take an impression off of
a page printed on pulp paper or newsprint. The ink from the crossword puzzle
magazines transfers perfectly to the Silly Putty. While this might strike many of you
who were unfamiliar with the concept as being a very clever idea, I think that you are
better off, in most cases, either sticking with the basic peek or catching the reflection
off of the tabletop. You will understand why once you ve had a piece of Silly Putty melt
in your pocket.]
Using More than One Spectator
You may find it desirable to do the effect with two or three spectators
instead of just one. You can accomplish this by simply making one or two
extra blank puzzle copies of your  master crossword puzzle magazine  with
different covers of course. The effect becomes progressively more difficult
because of the additional information you will have to glimpse and remember.
Also, keep in mind if you do this, that it is NOT a good idea to go through the
 here s what I want you to do routine for each spectator separately. You
should only do the illustration once for all of them. In other words, you have
one chance to glimpse and remember all of the clues. While this might seem
a bit daunting, keep in mind that it doesn t really matter if you are wrong on
one of the selections. As in most mentalism, it only serves to add to the
legitimate appearance of the effect.
The Dictionary
The dictionary variant is the one I use as often as possible in conjunction
with the basic routine. You will require a cheap, pocket-sized dictionary that
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Bob Cassidy
you can give away after the program. It is unprepared in any way. Prior to the
performance it is in your inside jacket pocket, or, alternatively, in your
briefcase.
. The dictionary variant might seem very ballsy to you at first, but it isn t
really. Remember that the strength of the basic routine lies in the fact that
everything is done before the audience realizes that anything has happened.
This is what makes the dictionary variant so easy to get away with. You will
not be able to perform it every time you do the effect, but about 40 percent of
the time, you can use it to create a devastating climax to an already powerful
routine.
You are at the point where you have shown the spectator holding the
magazine against her chest what you want her to do. Let us say that in
carrying out this ruse, whose true purpose is to ascertain the clue or clues
that correspond to the puzzle and number she is about to look up, you have
determined that there is only one possible answer the spectator can arrive at.
In other words, using our page 42 as an example, only the word  Army is
possible. Now there are many words in crossword puzzles (primarily
abbreviations such as NNE and two-word answers) that you will not find in a
cheap pocket dictionary. In such cases, as well as those in which there are
two possible clues  both a 38 down and a 38 across, for example  you will
NOT be able to do the dictionary variant. But in this case, where  Army is
the only possible outcome, the dictionary ending works perfectly.
Before you have the spectator look at her page and select her clue, toss
the duplicate magazine aside and take out your pocket dictionary. Continue
your talk as follows:
 Now occasionally, even though these crossword puzzles are allegedly
EASY, there may or may not be a dispute as to what a particular word
means. Just in case that should happen, I brought along this pocket
dictionary. As you can see, it contains about twenty thousand words,
more than enough to resolve any dispute that may arise over a
definition appearing in this type of puzzle. I m going to ask you, sir, to
hold onto this dictionary, so that you may act as judge should a dispute
occur.
I really hope that most of you are ahead of me at this point. It will show
that you are getting used to the way I think when it comes to the timing of
secret work. As you flip through the dictionary, showing all of the definitions, it
is an extremely simple matter to use your nailwriter to circle the word  Army.
(The whole damn book acts as cover, so don t tell me you don t nailwrite very
well  you don t have to.)
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Crossroads Crosswords
The exact wording you use prior to the climax will vary each time you do
the effect, because it is dependent, to a degree, on the word chosen and the
clue. In the present example, after the audience has been shown what I wrote
on my pad  the ending of the basic routine  I would say something like this:
 I don t know about you, but the clue  Guerrilla s group does not
automatically bring the word  Army to mind. Obviously, it was the
correct answer, so we have no real dispute here. But I ll bet you if we
looked up the word  Army in the dictionary, we d see no reference to a
guerrilla group. Would you, sir, please look up the word  Army for us?
And, by the way, when you find it will you tell us if there is anything at
all unusual about that single entry in the dictionary. Is there is
something about it that is different from every other word in the book?
 It s circled? The only word in that book that has a circle around it is the
one this volunteer selected AFTER that dictionary was already in your
possession?
You can see now why I said that the variant presentations used aspects of
jazz mentalism. They are, to a large extent, improvised as you go along. It is
this approach, however, that allows a mentalist  in this as well as hundreds
of other applications, which will occur to you  to literally accomplish the
impossible.
While you may not have experienced the same jolt as I did when I was
confronted by the impossible thought that I was  a dead old-timer, I think
you ll find that the jazz approach to this effect does in fact make the
impossible an often-obtainable reality.
Good Thoughts to you all,
Bob Cassidy
Seattle, WA
December 2003