So I’m out in the middle of shit nowhere in the northern Nevada desert exploring art projects on the playa one night at Burning Man with my friend Scott. We’re looking at this yurt that someone has set up. There’s nothing around it. Scott tells me he wishes he had a map of the Black Rock City so he could mark locations of some theme camps and art installations. (For a week the temporary Black Rock City that houses Burning Man is the fourth-largest city in Nevada, dontcha know.)
Through the oval doorway of the yurt I can see a nice soft floor, cushions, soft lighting, a comfy space in the middle of the hostile environment. I take some pix because it’s an inviting little oasis here. I duck my head and step into the oval. There’s a guy sitting inside the yurt right beside the door. He looks up at me as I come in and says, “Steve Boyett? I just met you at WorldCon!” In fact it’s Ryan Alexander, whom I clearly remember meeting at the dance I DJ’d at WorldCon in Montreal a month earlier.
Ryan has made postcards as gifts for people he meets on the playa. He gives one to my friend Scott.
The postcards are a map of Black Rock City.
And people ask me why I go to this.
I’m just back from Burning Man and playing catchup. I’ll put up a real post in a few days, and soon my Burning Man 2009 photo/video album. Meantime, if your’re so inclined, have a look at the albums for 2007 and 2008.
Hey Steve! It was really cool to bump into you in the yurt, and really nice to meet Scott! I’m sorry I didn’t have the juice to stay up for your set on the Nautilus art car. The playa had pretty much done my feet in at that point.
I’ve got my photos up from Burning Man, I didn’t end up taking a lot as the playa dust borked the shutter on my camera, but I did get a good shot of you and your SO in front of the Nautilus ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/envoy/3907675579/in/set-72157622335503388/ )
Howdy, Ryan, glad you got back safe & sound! Thanks for the link to the pic — I forgot about the Nautilus crew trying to make me wear that stoopid hat. Thank god for DJ headphones (“Sorry; I can’t mix with this thing on!”)
Maureen took a terrific pic of you on the Nautilus X; it’ll be part of the album I’ll post in the next few days.