EP 72 Jen Reed

EP 72 Jen Reed

Episode 72 with Jen Reed is out now! Meet Jen Reed, who recounts her transformative evolution from a curious observer to a professional fabricator and artist within the Burning Man community. Her story begins with Reed’s spiritual calling after watching a 2009 documentary, leading her to join an architecture-focused camp where she realized she needed technical mastery to achieve her creative visions. She discusses the intentional decade-long hiatus she took to acquire formal skills in welding and fabrication, a journey of self-actualization that eventually allowed her to return to the desert as a lead artist and mentor. Central to her story are themes of communal support, the "Burning Man University" education, and the symbolic "forging" of identity through the desert’s harsh environment. She describes how the festival functions as a map for personal empowerment, bridging the gap between imaginative passion and tangible professional output. @compost_playground Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ [https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/] for all of the details and links. Email shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com [shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com] 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.

EP 71 Ian Rowen

Episode 71 with Ian Rowen is out now! Meet Ian Rowen, a long-term Burning Man volunteer and regional contact who played a pivotal role in introducing the event’s culture to Taiwan and China. Rowan details his trajectory from a "newbie" volunteer in 2001 to navigating the complex geopolitical and cultural translation required to establish regional burns like Dragon Burn in mainland China. He highlights the friction between the event’s decommodified ideals and the reality of corporate interests, specifically describing how Chinese venture capitalists and government-backed entities have attempted to brand and monetize the experience. The conversation explores how Burning Man has evolved into a globalized phenomenon, influencing social movements in East Asia while grappling with the diverse ways different cultures interpret and mirror its core principles. @melonianian https://ianrowen.com/ [https://ianrowen.com/] Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ [https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/] for all of the details and links. Email shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com [shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com] 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.

EP 70 Shadow Shorts #12

Shadow Shorts #12 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. The guest, a twenty-year veteran of the desert gathering, describes Black Rock City as a transformative crucible that provides a sense of radical acceptance and belonging for those who feel like outsiders in traditional society. While acknowledging the harsh physical environment and the "scars" left behind, the conversation highlights how the ethos of the community extends globally through regional events, fostering a "world of imagination" that persists long after the fire goes out. They discuss the enduring human connections and the personal growth that emerge from the beautiful, difficult, and "fabulously weird" culture of the Burn. Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ [https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/] for all of the details and links. Email shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com [shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com] 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.

EP 69 Justin Credible

Episode 69 with Justin Credible is out now! Meet Justin Credible, a seventh-generation Nevadan who shares her deep-rooted connection to the Black Rock Desert. She shares her childhood memories of performing archaeological surveys with her father to her pivotal role in the early development of Burning Man during the 1990s. A main story is her portrayal of Empress Zoe in the 1996 opera, a performance she describes as a transformative spiritual channeling that redefined her identity. Throughout the conversation, Credible reflects on the festival's evolution from a primal, communal gathering of artists to a complex society grappling with modern issues like technology, consent, and environmental stewardship. Her story speaks to the power of the desert as a space for radical self-expression and the enduring importance of non-transactional human connection. @djjustincredible Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ [https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/] for all of the details and links. Email shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com [shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com] 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.

EP 68 Twan

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 deep involvement with Pepe Ozan’s legendary operas, highlighted by a rigorous voodoo initiation in Haiti undertaken to ensure the artistic authenticity of the 1999 performance. His story explores the ethos of participation and collaboration, tracing his journey from organizing massive decompression events in Los Angeles to his current volunteer work with the Playa Restoration team, which maintains the event's "Leave No Trace" commitment. http://www.burningmanopera.org/ [http://www.burningmanopera.org/] IG: @burningtwan Please visit https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/ [https://shadowoftheman.buzzsprout.com/] for all of the details and links. Email shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com [shadowofthemanpodcast@gmail.com] 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.