Dr. Charles Joseph Pecor was born on October 5th., 1938 in Augusta Georgia, USA and became interested in magic around the age of 10.

He has a PhD in drama & Theatre from the University of Georgia & Assistant Professor of Speech at Marcon Junior College, Marcon, Georgia.

He performed as "The Wizard of Wit" when an amateur and wrote 'The Magician on the American Stage', 1752-1874 (1977) which was his doctorial dissertation. He then wrote 'The Craft of Magic' (1979). He has provided many articles in Linking Ring, MUM, Journal of Magic, The Altar Flame as well as writing several lecture notes. He also enjoys writing science fiction novels and short stories.

And now.........

As a Shorter College sophomore, I met my future husband, a new instructor who seemed like....well, you know, a normal guy. But the truth will out. Having packed away the props during his graduate school days, Charlie did not reveal his true nature until as newlyweds we were visited by a close-up magician friend, Bob Carver. Re-infected by the magical bug, he recaptured his joy in a hobby that had fascinated him during his teen years.

Joy is not necessarily my primary emotion when I look at the skull collection marching across the top of the lovely armoire I purchased for him a few years ago. However, throughout the intervening 38 years, I have appreciated the passion and people that magic has brought into our lives.

Creativity is never static. Throughout Charlie's love affair with magic, we have progressed from manipulation, to comedy, to the bizarre, and mentalism. Likewise, his magical writings have been diverse. I scoffed when he told me he was going to seek permission to write a historical dissertation on the history of magic in America to complete the requirements for his Ph. D.  at the University of Georgia; but today, copies of the limited publication of his history fetch handsome prices, as do any copies of his Craft of Magic, a marvelous book for beginning performers.

Many have purchased his booklet entitled Staging Magic: The Real Secrets which was a result not only of professional study but of practical performing experience. His historical research inspired his most recent book, The Ten-Year Tour of John Ranni. A recent tribute to his stature in magic was his selection as guest speaker at the Order of Merlin breakfast at the year 2000 I.B.M. Convention in Buffalo, New York.

A wit, scholar, essayist, lecturer and showman, Charlie loves to watch entertaining magicians. To bore him is the unforgivable sin, so I try never to bore him. Those who know him best realize that he is almost equal parts curmudgeon and jolly old elf - Santa Claus with an attitude. He is also eager for readers to know (and here I quote the Source Himself) that he is the "Father of Post Modern Deconstructed Magic." Life is hard and it uses up your weekends."

[This article is taken from The Linking Ring, Volume 81, # 10, October 2001.]