Madison Messenger - February 12th, 2023

www.madisonmessengernews.com February 12, 2023 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 9
Longtime magician ready to pass along his tricks
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
For 76 of his 88 years on this planet,
Dr. Jack Starr has held dear a love for
entertaining others through magic. In
those seven decades, he has accumulated
quite a collection of tricks, props,
and equipment. Now, he is looking to
pass along part or all of his collection to
someone who’s eyes twinkle as brightly
as his do at the thought of making people
wonder and laugh.
The retired doctor from London invites
anyone with a serious interest in
performing magic to sit down and talk
with him at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at London
Public Library.
“This isn’t going to be a show. Anyone
who comes, we’ll just sit and talk about
their interest in magic. I’ll share some
stories and my philosophy of magic,”
Starr said. “I want to find someone who
is really interested to give some of my
collection to.”
Starr’s foray into magic dates back to
his eighth-grade year. At the time,
“Catholic Boy” magazine published a
magic trick of the month. Hooked instantly,
Starr quenched his thirst to
learn more by checking out books from
the library. He also ordered catalogues
from ads in the comic books he read.
“I knew those catalogues front to
back,” he said. “I had a paper route,
making $5 a week. I would put aside a
little of it each week to buy tricks. I
spent hours in my bedroom practicing.”
Starr’s father encouraged his son’s interest
by taking him to Columbus to purchase
tricks created by U.F. Grant, a
magic dealer and inventor who got his
start in Massachusetts, later moved to
New York City, then settled in Ohio and
established U.F. Grant Magic.
Before long, Starr was performing
tricks for his family and friends. Sometimes,
those performances went well;
sometimes, they did not.
“I had this trick where you break an
egg into a newspaper and the egg disappears,”
Starr recalled. “My mom had
friends over. She had just cleaned the
carpet. Well, I turned the trick the
wrong way. Let’s just say, my mom tolerated
a lot.”
As Starr got the hang of things, he
picked up paying gigs. Most of the time,
he made about $10 and, on rare occasions,
$50. Even as a teenager, it wasn’t
about the money for him.
“It was all about entertaining people,”
he said.
In the years since then, Starr’s interest
in magic has never waned. He has
performed at countless birthday parties,
school assemblies, and civic organization
meetings. He once shared the stage with
Flippo the Clown of local television fame
at a Madison-Plains Local Schools variety
show. He never failed to perform a
magic trick for the young patients he
saw at his family medical practice.
Ten years ago, Starr suffered a stroke
that brought his performing days to an
end, but he has remained connected to
the scene, attending magic conventions
to see what’s new with his fellow enthusiasts.
“I like to see how other magicians
present their tricks. Sometimes, I know
how they do them; sometimes, I don’t.
But, for me, it’s more about how they
present them,” he said.
Starr said he is forever grateful for
what magic has brought to his life. It
pulled him out of his shell as a shy
teenager. He enjoyed lots of good experiences
and met lots of good people. And it
gave him the opportunity to make people
smile.
Messenger photo by Kristy Zurbrick
Dr. Jack Starr holds up a couple of
props from his large collection of
magic tricks. The London resident is
looking to pass along part of his collection
to another magic enthusiast.
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