Before he disappears completely

Posted on by Cecil Bothwell

Street magician Harry Merkin, of Indianapolis, followed his day job as a traveling repair geek to Asheville. Job completed, Merkin found himself with a bit of free time, a few decks of cards, a magic wand and a large bow tie. He is plying his real profession on street corners for a few more days, possibly a week, before heading to points north and east.

Merkin is as good a close-up sleight-of-hand artist as has been seen hereabouts in a long, long time. He’ll repeat tricks, inches from your nose, over and over, and still you can’t see how it’s done. Turning a $20 bill into a $1 bill is astonishing. The flaming quarter will amaze. If you see him on the street, at least stop and thank him for helping to keep Asheville weird!

— Cecil Bothwell, staff writer

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:
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3 thoughts on “Before he disappears completely”

  1. jimi fishstix

    yes, but can he turn a $1 into a $20? Now THAT would sure gather a crowd…and the FBI I guess.

  3. Harry Merkin

    If I could turn a $1 into a $20 I wouldn’t be working on the street C)8-)><

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