The Shadow Of The Man

Episode 99 with Matt Conlon is out now! Meet Matt Conlin, also known as "Jackass," as they reflect on their decades of profound involvement with Burning Man. Matt initially discovered Burning Man through early counterculture and art projects, subsequently transforming from a hesitant novice into an active participant who embraced the community's signature collaborative spirit, humor, and unique traditions like megaphone antics. He discusses the transformative personal impact of the event, illustrating how the desert's unpredictable challenges foster resilience, deep friendships, and a philosophy that celebrates creative failure and joyful experimentation.

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Episode 98 with Caroline Miller is out now! Meet Caroline Miller, a long-time participant and webmaster for the famous art collective, the Flaming Lotus Girls. The interview explores Caroline's journey from moving to America from the UK in 2002 to becoming deeply involved in large-scale fire art, detailing the meticulous technical processes, safety measures, and evolution of the collective. She describes the spirit of community, mentorship, and do-it-yourself ethos that defines Burning Man culture, emphasizing how ordinary individuals can be empowered to build magnificent, collaborative art projects.

https://www.flaminglotus.com/

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Shadow Shorts #21 is out now! Recorded at UnSCruz in 2026 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 Shine, who shares how Burning Man transformed her life. Shine discusses her decades of involvement, which include constructing large-scale art installations, taking on leadership roles, and traveling internationally to participate in various regional burn events. They highlight the core pillars that continuously draw people back to these gatherings, namely the profound human connections and the vibrant community-built creativity. Shine describes the deep personal impact of these experiences while offering a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous organization and teamwork required to successfully execute such unique cultural events.

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Episode 96 with Curtis Coleman is out now! Meet Curtis Coleman as he reminisces about his transformative experiences at the annual Burning Man festival. His story explores deep human connections and community-building, illustrating how the event acts as a powerful catalyst for personal reinvention and authentic social interaction. Andi and Curtis talk about how they co-created CORE in 2011. He showcases how the unconventional desert gathering fosters profound self-discovery and lifelong bonds, proving that the true magic of the experience lies in its unique spirit of playfulness and collective vulnerability.

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Episode 95 with Ashes is out now! Meet Ashes who explores the transformative journey of finding lifelong community through Burning Man and its behind-the-scenes labor force known as the Department of Public Works (DPW). Ashes shares her unconventional path from arriving at the desert by herself to ultimately building iconic structures like the Man base and working on the Ranch Crew in Black Rock Station. Throughout the conversation, they examine the cultural evolution of the event, the unforgiving physical toll of desert restoration work, and the deep personal growth that comes from embracing radical challenges and living authentically.

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Shadow Shorts #20 is out now! Recorded at UnSCruz in 2026 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 Steve, also known as Razer Beck, who shares his long-standing involvement with the Burning Man community and regional events. Steve reflects on how these gatherings have fostered deep personal connections, including reuniting with decades-old sports teammates and officiating lighthearted camp weddings. The conversation highlights the transformative social impact of the festival, illustrating how shared artistic and communal traditions cultivate open-mindedness and lifelong loyalty among attendees.

Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ for all of the details and links.Email [email protected] if you want to be a guest or if you have any concerns about the show.

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Episode 93 with Stephen Payne is out now! Meet Stephen Payne, a filmmaker who documented the Burning Man festival during its formative years in the early 2000s. The conversation highlights the logistical and artistic challenges of early independent filmmaking in the desert, specifically Payne’s rapid process of shooting and editing the film Burn Baby Burn on a tight deadline. Beyond the technical history, his story explores the evolution of the festival’s culture, contrasting the lawless, improvisational nature of the past with the more regulated, corporate-influenced presence of modern media. He relates the profound personal impact of the Burning Man experience, which Payne credits with fostering the confidence, resourcefulness, and adventurous spirit that led him to his current life on a boat in Malta.

https://www.paynie.net/

Burn Baby Burn - Remastered

IG: @jaywalking.the.world

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Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ for all of the details and links.

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Episode 92 with Lara Hopwood is out now! Meet Lara Hopwood, a project manager for the Burning Man Regional Network, who discusses the global expansion of the event’s culture. Lara explains that her role involves supporting a worldwide ecosystem of local communities and volunteer contacts who bring the ten principles to life outside of the main desert gathering. The conversation highlights how Burning Man has evolved from a single annual experiment into a permanent cultural movement that fosters participation and civic engagement through year-round regional events and virtual spaces. She explains how the "burner" identity is defined by a commitment to creativity and community rather than just a trip to the Black Rock Desert.

https://burningman.org/global-events-groups/burning-man-regional-network/

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/larahopwood/

https://burningman.org/about-us/who-we-are/rising-sparks/

IG: @

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Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ for all of the details and links.

Email [email protected] if you want to be a guest or if you have any concerns about the show.

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Shadow Shorts #19 is out now! Recorded at UnSCruz in 2026 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 veteran participant known as Dr. Slide who talks about the transformative power of radical self-expression and the importance of building a gift-based community that exists beyond the main desert festival. The discussion emphasizes the growth of regional burning networks in areas like Santa Cruz and Oakland, illustrating how these local gatherings serve as vital spaces for liberating the spirit and fostering human connection. Dr Slide describes how the movement’s values of inclusion and togetherness can reshape a person's life and professional outlook over many years.

Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ for all of the details and links.

Email [email protected] if you want to be a guest or if you have any concerns about the show.

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Episode 90 with Yonderman is out now! Meet Yonderman aka Mark Stirling, a New Zealand professor who reflects on his serendipitous discovery of Burning Man while studying geology in Nevada during the 1990s. The conversation traces his journey from a chance encounter with naked cyclists in the desert to becoming a foundational figure in the global regional network by establishing Kiwi Burn, the first Burning Man event outside North America. Stirling emphasizes how the culture’s principles of community and radical inclusion offered him a "chosen family" and a sense of liberation that contrasted with his earlier experiences of being bullied. His story highlights the transformative power of the event, illustrating how its philosophy can be successfully transplanted across oceans to foster lifelong creative and personal fulfillment.

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https://kiwiburn.com/

https://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/staff/mark-stirling

Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ for all of the details and links.

Email [email protected] if you want to be a guest or if you have any concerns about the show.

Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, it REALLY helps the show to even appear in search results.