THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701240003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 29 lines
As a college student with great aspirations to become a journalist, I was appalled by the Jan. 8 story by (New York Times writer) Douglas Martin about the legendary David Copperfield.
My family and I have been fans of Copperfield for years. At last year's performance at the Chrysler, I got a chance to be part of the show.
Copperfield was selecting audience members to be part of an ``illusion,'' as he calls his ``tricks,'' and I began to jokingly gesture at my mother. He stopped at our aisle, and with a devious grin pointed to me and told me to follow him on stage with the other chosen volunteers.
I was not an ``audience plant,'' nor was I paid for my ``performance.'' Instead, I was given the gift of momentarily sharing the spotlight with one of the sweetest, most magical men I have ever met.
As for levitation ``tricks,'' I have no idea how he performs them, but he was able to get me and the other volunteers to levitate a coffee table that night, no strings attached.
Martin's so-called ``quest to reveal the secrets of Copperfield's illusions'' was damaging to the magician and his fans.
A secret is just that, and should remain a secret.
AMANDA K. SMITH
Virginia Beach, Jan. 9, 1997