“Nancy Colwell’s Theseus is a model of how to simultaneously explain and inspire—not only its uniquely mysterious subject, but also the meticulous process of how its creative components came into being. In the ’60s such books were considered “trippy,” because they expanded one’s consciousness in evolutionary ways, revealing differences that actually make a difference. In that regard, Colwell’s debut book is both an exciting journey and a destination.”

—Jon Racherbaumer

“I met Nancy Colwell one afternoon at Magic, Inc. and was instantly impressed by her clever ideas and flawless execution, in an unassuming style. I also sensed she was very well read and had a deep respect for the good magicians and creators of the past and present. In Theseus, I am pleased to see that Nancy is also a fine writer and analyst, with a deep conceptual thinking. Aside from the quality of the material, this book is also a master class on making choices when putting a routine together. Nancy rocks. I’m eager to see her again.”

—Rafael Benatar

“Nancy, like Simon, is brilliant. Theseus was written with incredible thought and attention or as Simon would say—examining all the ‘what ifs.’”

—Ginny Aronson

“Nancy offers a fascinating plot of truly Fulvesian quirkiness. It combines a topologically flavored impossibility with an existential philosophical question in a unique way. I loved reading the stages of its development and exploring the different solutions.”

—Denis Behr

“On a random day a few years ago, I sat in a diner a few blocks away from Magic, Inc. in Chicago, with Nancy Colwell and the beloved pocket Marlo to watch over our session, as is tradition in Chicago. Nancy proceeds to tell me about an effect she’s been working on called Theseus. She then proceeds to fool the s#*t out of me with it—a beautiful T&R [like] routine and so much more.”

—Larry Horayne