Theater in a Crowded Fire: Ritual and Spirituality at Burning Man

About this book

Every summer thousands gather from around the world in the blistering heat of Nevadas Black Rock Desert for the seven-day celebration of art community and fire known as Burning Man. Culminating in the spectacular incineration of a wooden effigy this festival is grand-scale theater for self-expression personal transformation eclectic spirituality communal bonding and cultural renewal. In this engrossing ethnography of the Burning Man phenomenon Lee Gilmore explores why burners come in vast numbers to transform a temporary gathering of strangers into an enduring community. Accompanied by a DVD which provides panoramic views of events individuals artworks and of course the climactic final night the book delves into the varieties of spirituality ritual and performance conducted within the festival space.