MAX MAVEN . A MAGICIAN WHO CONTAINED MULTITUDES .
BY NICK LEWIN
This title is a reference to Walt Whitman ’ s poem Song of Myself . The actual quote is “ Do I contradict myself ?
Very well then I contradict myself , ( I am large , I contain multitudes .)” This seems like a fine start to any tribute about Max Maven . The outpouring of grief over the passing of Max has resulted in an enormous , I might say unprecedented , number of heartfelt stories and reminisces about this extraordinary member of the magic community . If Max could be described as a multitude , then it is equally correct to say he was appreciated and loved by multitudes .
Max Maven was born Philip Goldstein on December 21st , 1950 , in Ithaca , New York . He passed on November 1st , 2022 , in Hollywood , California after a two-year battle with glioblastoma . In those 71 years , he established himself as one of magic ’ s finest performers , thinkers , writers , and historians . He also created an indelible persona named Max Maven who worked side by side with Phil Goldstein to touch on , and improve on , every aspect of magic they explored . Few , if any , members of the magic community have left more creative fingerprints on their art form than Max .
Max has been showered with every kind of award that magic can bestow , he has been seen in live and televised performances around the world , all the while creating routines that will be performed by magicians forever . However , as we are learning more and more from the testimony of magicians worldwide , it was the man behind the persona that frequently touched and moved his contemporaries . Max was a very kind and generous soul partially concealed behind the somewhat sinister widow ’ s peak and black clothing that made him so recognizable .
Maven was never a person to suffer fools gladly , but equally , he never stinted in helping a fellow magician improve their understanding and grasp of magic . Max was never one to desire or seek recognition for his generosity or kindness , so it is profound how many such stories about him have flowed out in the aftermath of his passing . I am just going to relate one small story that affected me on a very personal level .
Back in the ' 70s Susan and I threw a party in our home in Sherman Oaks . Staying with us at the time were my parents from England . My father was an old-school British gentleman , a chartered accountant who had a deep-rooted love of all things mathematical . At one point I