My dad was magical. He could cut a string in half and then magically restore it to one piece. He filled a glass with water, balanced it on its side, and somehow kept it from spilling. He could make a book fall from the shelf by itself and then blame the ghosts for knocking it down. The list goes on, each trick leaving us more amazed than the last. Afterward, my brothers and I would gather around, trying unsuccessfully to uncover his secrets.

My favorite magic was watching my dad create somet...