The Shadow Of The Man

Episode 68 with Twan is out now! Meet Twan, a veteran Burning Man participant and the long-reigning former Los Angeles regional contact. Twan recounts the organic evolution of the global burner community before the advent of social media, detailing how disparate groups transitioned from unorganized email lists into the official regional network under the Burning Man umbrella. Twan explains his dee...

Shadow Shorts #11 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet Fly Trap, who describes Burning Man as a transformative "family reunion" that allows her to reconnect with distant friend...

Episode 66 with Dana Albany is out now! Meet Dana Albany, a long-time artist whose life was radically redirected by her experiences at Burning Man. Originally a microbiology student, Dana describes her transition from the sciences to the arts after discovering a passion for participation and industrial tools while volunteering to build the Man. Her story highlights the collaborative spirit of the...

Episode 65 with Lady Bee is out now! Meet Lady Bee, a long-time member and former art curator for the Burning Man organization. The conversation traces her journey from discovering the event in 1995 to her influential career managing art grants and archival collections that document the culture's material history. Lady Bee reflects on the evolution of the Burning Man community, emphasizing ho...

Shadow Shorts #10 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet Ivan as he explains his personal evolution as a veteran burner, tracing his journey from a frequent wedding photographer on the pla...

Episode 63 with Ryan Doyle is out now! Meet Ryan Doyle, a prolific artist and long-time Burning Man participant. The conversation explores Doyle’s extensive history within the community, specifically his foundational role in building legendary art cars like Robot Heart and various fleet vehicles for the Department of Public Works. Beyond mere technical construction, his story delves into the evolu...

Episode 62 with Christine Nash is out now! Meet Christine Nash, a long-time veteran of Burning Man who shares her extensive history with the event’s creative community. Nash recounts her evolution from an attendee in 1996 to her current roles co-owning art complexes in Los Angeles and volunteering with Media Mecca, where she bridges the gap between journalists and artists. The conversation explore...

Shadow Shorts #9 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet Mary Pia who describes her journey from being a scammed solo traveler in 2019 to finding a sense of belonging through volunteering w...

Episode 60 with Jorge Luis Gamboa VIII is out now! Meet Jorge Luis Gamboa VIII, a regional contact and long-time Burning Man participant known as the Ambassador. The conversation traces Gamboa's journey from his first trip to the Nevada desert in 2010 (fueled by a series of personal hardships) to his leadership within the Motropolis and Mo communities, which emphasize humanity and collaborati...

Episode 58 with Kim Cook is out now! Meet Kim Cook, a longtime leader within the Burning Man organization who discusses the global evolution of the event’s culture. Cook details her transition from a "Burning Man adjacent" background in the arts to senior roles such as Director of Art and Civic Engagement, Director of Creative Initiatives, and Director of Global Activation, where she wor...

Shadow Shorts #8 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet Pam, a twenty-five-year veteran of the gathering, who discusses her transition from a casual attendee to a dedicated volunteer on th...

Episode 57 with Arash is out now! Meet Arash, the creator and host of the longest-running Burning Man podcast (the Burner Podcast). We talk about the history and evolution of burner media, highlighting the technical and emotional challenges of documenting a community defined by radical self-expression and human connection. Arash reflects on his decade-long journey from being an "annoyingly re...

Episode 56 with Ranger Beauty is out now! Meet Ranger Beauty, a veteran volunteer with over two decades of experience at Burning Man. We explore her extensive history with the event, spanning her roles as a Black Rock Ranger, an emergency medical volunteer, and a DJ for the pirate radio station Radio Electra. Throughout the interview, Beauty emphasizes the importance of radical self-reliance, the...

Shadow Shorts #7 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet Don who has participated in Burning Man  for twenty-two consecutive years . The conversation highlights how the event serves as a ma...

Episode 54 with The Assless Chaplain is out now! Meet the Assless Chaplain, who reflects on his twenty-year evolution within the Burning Man community. The conversation transitions from his reckless, unprepared origins in 2005 to his modern role organizing a themecamp that operates a wedding chapel on the playa. He discusses the concept of radical self-reliance and the shift from "weird peopl...

Episode 53 with Miss P Segal is out now! Meet P. Segal, a foundational figure in the San Francisco Cacophony Society and the early evolution of Burning Man. The conversation traces the historical significance of 1907 Golden Gate, a massive Victorian residence that served as a creative clubhouse where artists collaborated on subversive urban pranks and planned the first desert excursion of the &quo...

Shadow Shorts #6 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Each Shadow Short is one person’s story, please enjoy this short story of how Burning Man has impacted and influenced people over time. Meet a long-time attendee named Papa Smurf who explains his profound personal transformation fostered by the Burning Man community. The c...

Episode 51 with Cab Spates is out now! Meet Cab Spades, a long-time participant in Burning Man and a community leader in Hawaii. Cab talks about his history with the event since 2005, detailing the logistical evolution of the festival from a seamless, low-tech gathering to a complex operation involving massive shipping containers and permanent infrastructure. Cab explains the concept of Buddhist e...

Episode 50 with Naomi Most is out now! Meet Naomi Most who relates her early, unscripted solo adventures—such as her first trip in a Jetta that broke down—to her later involvement in more organized camps like the " Human Car Wash " and the experimental performance art scene at Thunderdome . Central to their discussion is the concept of serendipity , where Naomi explains how the festival’...

Shadow Shorts #5 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Meet Sigardona , a Russian-born Californian who progressed from a curious first-time attendee to a camp leader managing a unique underwater photography installation . Their conversation highlights the deep social bonds formed through shared adversity and the way the "...

Episode 48 with Joseph Buchman is out now! He is a former professor and census volunteer, who details his transformative journey within the Burning Man community. The narrative follows his transition from a grieving, skeptical Scout Master to a dedicated participant after a religious-like experience at the Temple helped him heal from a family tragedy involving suicide. Central themes include the h...

Episode 47 with Quest Skinner is out now! Meet Quest Skinner , a multi-talented artist and "poly-camperous" burner who shares her transformative decade-long journey at Burning Man . The conversation centers on Skinner’s evolution from a first-time attendee in 2015 to a vital leader in Art Support Services , where she now utilizes her expertise in fabrication and logistics to help artists...

Shadow Shorts #4 is out now! Recorded at BRC in 2025 participants were challenged to explain BM‘s impact in 5 minutes or less. Meet an Australian attendee named Mel , who talks about the concept of personal recalibration , exploring how Black Rock City's surreal, Mars-like landscape and commitment to artistic expression allow adults to rediscover a lost sense of childlike curiosity and play ....

Episode 45 with Nicholas Powers is out now! Meet  Nicholas Powers , a professor and reporter who details his decades-long journey through Burning Man . His story follows Powers’ evolution from a "lone wolf" seeker to the founder of a people of color camp , highlighting how the festival acts as a catalyst for human solidarity and deep psychological healing. Central to their discussion is...

Episode 44 with Erin Douglas is out now! Meet Erin Douglas , the visionary creator of the Black Burner Project . The conversation traces Douglas’s evolution from a hesitant first-time attendee in 2017 to a prominent community leader who uses portraiture and storytelling to increase the visual identity and inclusion of people of color at Burning Man. Central to her story is Douglas’s transition fro...