Building BRC

Words fail

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The multi-talented, hard-working, flame-playing Lily doing her thing.
The multi-talented, hard-working, flame-playing Lily doing her thing.

Things are in full swing, and words are becoming kind of beside the point. The activities are taking off in a thousand different directions, with thousands of people at the helm.

So here are some random sentence fragments and ill-formed thoughts:

a) Weather completely gorgeous (moderately hot, with a chance of dust)
b) Esplanade very big and surprisingly easy to get lost on at night. Weird but true.

Tom at the helm of the rig
Tom at the helm of the rig

c) Where would we be without Moto (who can fix broke-ass art cars)? I’ll tell you exactly where we’d be; still trying to push the Trojan Sloth back home.
d) Fire, fire everywhere.
e) There is a drop-box for glow-sticks at around 5:30 and D. Use it.
f) Pabst is the vitamin water of Black Rock City, and Jameson’s is the WD-40.
g) Ice cream. Must. have. ice. cream.
h) What the hell day is this?
i) Reverend Billy is a good dancer.

Black Rock Roller Disco, on the Esplanade
Black Rock Roller Disco, on the Esplanade

j) One of the most phenomenal photographers here is Dimitre, who had a reception last night at the Commissary. He’s so good he makes you want to put away your  camera  and weep quietly in the corner. Also? An amazingly good guy.
k) Age is just a frame of mind; except when you feel it in your bones.

And here are some pictures (the black and whites are by Dimitre, too). I hope they suffice for now.

Michael Chastain's piece, as seen by Dimitre
Michael Chastain's piece. Photo by Dimitre

Center Camp scene. Photo by Dimitre

Seeking refuge in a trailer box. Photo by Dimitre
Photo by Dimitre
Wherever you go, you're likely to see flames.
Wherever you go, you're likely to see flames.
An another of Lily, from her midnight show
An another of Lily, from her midnight show

About the author: John Curley

John Curley (that's me) has been Burning since the relatively late date of 2004, and in 2008 I spent the better part of a month on the playa, documenting the building and burning of Black Rock City in words and pictures. I loved it, and I've been doing it ever since. I was a newspaper person in a previous life, and I spent many years at the San Francisco Chronicle. At the time I left, in 2007, I was the deputy managing editor in charge of Page One and the news sections of the paper. Since then, I've turned a passion for photography into a second career. I shoot for editorial, commercial and private clients. I've also taught a little bit, including two years at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism and a year at San Francisco State University. I live on the San Mateo coast, just south of San Francisco in California.

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