Opinion | Burning Man Journal

Why Does Burning Man Matter?

November 7, 2024 By Erica Blair

At first glance, Burning Man looks like a kaleidoscope of contradictions: an experiment in Radical Self-reliance built on a bedrock of collaboration and Communal Effort; a decommodified endeavor that takes ...Read More

Serious Stuff, The Ten Principles

What is Burning Man Leadership? A Model

November 22, 2019 By Caveat Magister

It’s a cliché at this point to suggest that there is a crisis of faith in leadership and expertise across ...Read More

Serious Stuff, The Ten Principles

What Is “Burning Man Education” and Why? A Manifesto

November 21, 2019 By Caveat Magister

When Burning Man started offering “educational programming” or “educational content” depends on what you think that is. The first survival ...Read More

Serious Stuff, The Ten Principles

The State of the Diversity Conversation (Observations From the Field)

November 20, 2019 By Caveat Magister

I don’t want to talk about diversity right now — I don’t have anything new to say about diversity at ...Read More

Serious Stuff, The Ten Principles

Am I a “Burner?”

November 6, 2019 By Caveat Magister

I’ve recently been traveling around the U.S. talking to people in open forums about Burning Man’s philosophy and culture, and ...Read More

Shenanigans

The Art of War (at Burning Man) — Part 3 — How to Be a Warbringer

October 4, 2019 By Caveat Magister

Burning Man is hard. The best things about Burning Man are fucking hard. War is no exception. And, like the ...Read More

Shenanigans

The Art of War (at Burning Man) — Part 2 — What is it Good For?

September 20, 2019 By Caveat Magister

Running a successful war at Burning Man is extremely difficult — and what it means for a war to be ...Read More

Shenanigans

The Art of War (at Burning Man) — Part 1 — Report from the Front Lines

September 16, 2019 By Caveat Magister

To the extent that people know me on playa, they know me as “Caveat,” of course. But since 2011, the ...Read More

Rhymes with Burning Man, Serious Stuff

Decompression Challenge

September 16, 2019 By John "Halcyon" Styn

Yeah, Decompression is real. But don't stew in upset at how the Default World is not like Black Rock City. ...Read More

Shenanigans

Why “Hotmessday” is the Meme We Need — and How it Came to Be

September 10, 2019 By Caveat Magister

I'd heard this story before, but now it has a sticker, so it's a real thing Years ago, "Hot Damn," ...Read More