Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man [Hardcover]

Holly Kreuter (Author), Larry Harvey (Author), M. Mara-Ann (Author), Rob Brezsny (Author), Chris Taylor (Author), Mark Van Proyen (Author), Daniel Terdiman (Editor), Travis Ortiz (Introduction), Dave Eggers (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2002

"Strongly recommended as an eclectic, unique and vibrant experience impressing its fiery artistic message upon the reader's spirit." -Midwest Book Review

A beautiful book and DVD set (not sold separately).

* Holly Kreuter, a member of the Burning Man staff, contributed her photographs from 1996-2001 and led the /Drama/ team of 90
* Rare photos of the first Burn by Burning Man co-founder Jerry James * 42 writing contributors
* Foreword by Dave Eggers, best-selling author of /A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius/
* Introduction by Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey
* 74-minute feature presentation on DVD
* Original score by Sean Abreu (soundtrack CD available separately)
* Interviews with Burning Man artists and Larry Harvey
* Seven slide shows featuring 560 Kreuter photographs

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Once a year, perhaps 25,000 people gather to create highly idiosyncratic, often body- and performance-oriented art and to watch a 60-foot wooden man burn. Begun in 1986, when a wooden figure was spontaneously raised and burnt on a San Francisco beach, this informal festival now takes place in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, where supernatural sculptures of light, earth and mesh curl into the sky, and people bike and dance like it's 1967. Burning Man staff member Kreuter has here assembled 286 full-color photos covering five years of the festival, along with writings by 42 Burning Man devotees who seem to be struggling to capture the immensity of the experience: "Go now. Whatever it is/ that you long for is waiting for you/ Right now." The photos document a seemingly stranded phone booth and mailbox, a living room tableaux of '50s-style crash-test dummies with the familiar plea to "kill your television," futuristically body-painted revelers, various large-scale figures on fire and phallic outcroppings in twilight. An enclosed DVD includes a 74-minute "feature presentation," eight interviews with artists and organizers and a 560-image "slide show." It may simply be the limitations of the two media employed here that leaves an "I guess you had to be there" feeling; Eggers's foreword urges, "Go and set up your tent." While it probably doesn't herald the dawning of a new age, this book should do well in alternative culture outlets.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Impressive collection... a giant testament to this weird and wonderful gathering." -- San Francisco Chronicle Book Review, November 17, 2002

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Raised Barn Pr; Har/DVD edition (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972178902
• ISBN-13: 978-0972178907
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,314,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, the photos, the text, the printing, all are peerless, October 3, 2002

By 

Leslie N. Bocskor "LNB" (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man (Hardcover)

From my initial handling of this work, it was obvious that this was no ordinary photo book. The first aspect of it that grabs the eye is the quality of the printing and construction. Next, the attention is drawn into the book, transporting you to this place, this city, which exists for only 7 days once a year. And the subject(s) of the images look surreal, hyper-real, and dream-like, pulling you into the pages, so that even if just for a moment, your imagination (or memory, if you have been there) allows you to BE there. Next, when you have settled enough, after paging through to see these captured moments of manifested thoughts, the text goes deeper, touching the heart.
If you have heard about Burning Man, have read about it, seen a few photo's and have wondered what it is like, and have not yet attended, this book will bring you closer than any other. If you HAVE been there, this book may bring both tears to your eyes (from rememberances that affect you so deeply) and laughter to your lips. Also, for those who have attended, and wanted to have something, anything, to try and help communicate what it is like, this is it.

In one word, as it regards photo books in general, and the photo books about Burning Man, Drama in the Desert is without peer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, January 9, 2005

By 

S. A. Murphy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man (Hardcover)

My husband and I starting our Burning Man experience in 1997 and have gone every year since. We've had 4 different theme camps alone or in collaboration with friends. We will have to miss the 2005 burn, as we will be relocating, so we bought books and DVD's to remember the fun times until we can come home again. Holly's book is wonderful and the DVD is sooo much better than anything else out there. It really just blew me away! We popped it into the DVD player one morning and were mesmerized and drawn in by the music, the images, the clouds and the incredible artistry of the whole production-it brings back the feeling of being there. I appreciate that she separated the interviews from the flow of images in the main movie.

A must have for anyone interested in Burning Man!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So great I bought 7 copies for gifts and one for myself!, November 2, 2002

By 

Marcy Kamps aka djheartbeat (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man (Hardcover)

I bought your book for my son's 22nd birthday. He loved the book so much that I bought myself a copy. Last weekend I watched the DVD and was amazed at how beautiful the photography and music is. I went to Burning Man for the past two years and the experience has completely changed my life. I get inspired by the creativity of all the beautiful people that work so hard to make it the greatest art show in the world. I decided to share my experiences with my relatives this Christmas by sending them all Drama in the Desert as presents, so I ordered another six copies. Thank you for everything. You are an amazing group of artists.