Reviews

"This handbook doesn't depend on diversion to achieve its effect. Grant Clauser is a poet with a clear eye for detail and a talent for discovering the honesty of even the most unlikely situations. The trick of this collection is how quickly we find ourselves in a world as familiar as our own." -- Brian Beatty, author of Brazil, Indiana and Coyotes I Couldn't See"As intricately beautiful as it is bizarre, The Magician's Handbook travels to the underworld and lives to tell the tale. And tell the tale it does. Gloriously, rivetingly, without pulling punches, Clauser's unflinching vision ushers readers on a journey through forbidden realms. Zombies, magicians, carnival sideshows, and tarot readers all have their say in these spellbinding pages. But just when the narrative threatens to become overwhelmingly apocalyptic, Clauser pulls back, makes us laugh, and grounds us safely in this world, reminding us of the simple, majestic, heartrending beauty of mundanity and the redemptive power of love. A breathtaking, one-of-a-kind collection, it will make you see the world with fresh eyes." -- Tawni Waters, author of The Beauty of the Broken and Siren Song