Staff

Sara Butler Dockery is Conjuring Arts' Head Librarian. She spends her days organizing the library's holdings, answering reference questions, scheduling appointments, editing Ask Alexander, and coordinating memberships. She has a BA in English from the University of Georgia and a Masters of Library Science from Long Island University. Sara is always amazed by the wealth of information there is to know about magic and magicians and enjoys helping others to find what they need.

Janie Brookshire was with Conjuring Arts at its inception in 2003. She was its first librarian and was responsible for much of the initial cataloguing and organization. After leaving to attend graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill, she has returned as the Administrator for the Hocus Pocus Project, CARC’s outreach arm. She is working to expand the HPP, connecting magician instructors not only to additional New York area children’s hospitals, but also to disadvantaged youth and to US veterans. Janie also works frequently on a number of special projects at Conjuring Arts, from transcription of rare correspondence to general office and account management.

Dr. Lori Pieper is Conjuring Arts' Director of Research and Translation. She acquires the almost unexplored existing material in magic history for Conjuring Arts, and makes it available to English-speaking readers in translations and editions of primary sources and secondary scholarly works. Her studies in the Humanities, earned masters in both Library Science and History, and Ph.D. in Medieval History all inform her work here at the library. Lori also is Pope John Paul I's official translator. Like all of the Conjuring Arts staff, Lori appreciates the incredible variety in what goes on here. One day she's translating an early twentieth-century dime novel about Houdini and Sherlock Holmes from German, and then the next she may be dissecting a Renaissance Italian humanist's text on mathematical games or maybe a sixteenth-century French "recipe book" that tells you how to make a roasted chicken flap its wings and fly away! Lori looks forward to the many ancient, medieval and Renaissance works that Conjuring Arts will give good critical editions. In addition to continuing her scholarly work, Lori's intent is to cultivate relationships with other established academic institutions in order to promote knowledge of the Conjuring Arts field in the scholarly community in general.

Kara Banister is Conjuring Arts’ Office Manager.  In addition to being in charge of the bookkeeping and data entry for Conjuring Arts and Hocus Pocus, she also oversees shipments and deliveries, written correspondence and general organization. She has a B.A. in Telecommunications and English from Indiana University Bloomington. Kara enjoys the multitude of diverse tasks that await her everyday in the magic library while remaining centered in an atmosphere that fosters curiosity and knowledge.

Kenlynne Rini is Conjuring Arts' Creative Director. Aside from having her hands in the varied and clever projects Conjuring Arts' staff is up to, she directs fundraising, public relations and non-profit operations. Kenlynne plans our special events and writes our electronic information pages.

Dylan Fitch, Director of Strategic Partnerships, has spent the past decade developing successful business alliances for both public and private companies in the US and abroad. A skilled negotiator and strategist, he is responsible for sourcing and implementing our varied external partnerships that support the Conjuring Arts' initiatives. Dylan is currently Executive Producer for Mansueto Ventures, LLC which owns Inc. and Fast Company media properties.

Volunteers and Interns, A special thanks to past and current volunteers who have assisted Conjuring Arts in all its endeavors: Caroline Ashby, Brendan Colby, Pat Colby, Alice Dontanville, Chrysse Haynes, Evan Natelson, McKinley Parker, Joelen Pastva, Diana Post, Neil Romanosky, Gina Toell, Dan Smith.

Munito was The Conjuring Arts Research Center's Official Mascot and Head of Security. He spent his days researching digestion of cards, perfecting his metamorphosis into a wolf, and digging through trash cans. He passed on in April of 2007.