Built to Burn: Tales of the Desert Carnies of Burning Man
Told with wry humor and a bit of cowboy philosophy, BUILT TO BURN invites the reader to experience Burning Man as it was before it got civilized, when it was as wild and untamed as anything out of the Old West.
Reviews (121)
Is Burning Man an ALT Bohemian Grove?
Robert Altman’s movie “A Secret Honor” is entirely about one man in one room. The actor Phillip Baker Hall plays Richard Nixon. The movie commences with Nixon placing a bullet in the chamber of a gun, getting out his bottle of scotch, and as he imbibes, tells the tape recorder what really happened, in particular concerning Watergate. As the glass continues to be re-filled with scotch, Nixon confesses to having “sold his soul at Bohemian Grove,” a real life version of the metaphor of the “boys in the backroom, with the cigars and brandy” who really make the decisions for our political leaders and judges to follow. At Wikipedia there is a picture of Nixon and Reagan at BG, and it is even claimed that the Manhattan Project, the making of the atomic bomb, was conceived there. Anyhow, Nixon claims that the boys at BG were making so much money off the Vietnam War that they wanted to prolong it beyond 1976, and have him accept a third term (hum!). But it was Nixon’s Quaker mother who had instilled, somewhere deep in the soul of this irascible man, “a secret honor” that provided the guidance that would not permit such an outrage. Thus, he “invented” the Watergate scandal so that he would not have to comply with the diktats of the boys in the backroom. An interesting hypothesis. Purportedly, both those who love Nixon and hate his guts loved this movie. In the interest of full disclosure, my daughter lives in San Francisco and knows Tony “Coyote” Perez, the author of “Build to Burn.” She recommended this book to me. We lived overseas when almost all the events described by Perez at “Burning Man” occurred. I knew virtually nothing about this “cult” bit of Americana and decided Perez’ book might be a good introduction. It is. Perez has written an account of his experiences with Burning Man from its early days, in the mid-90’s. It has large dollops of a madcap romp, part Tom Robbins, of “Another Road Side Attraction” and “Even Cowgirls get the Blues” fame, and part William S. Burroughs. Perez is originally from Michigan, migrated to the city by the bay to make his living as a singer and sax player. Definitely a “city boy,” he arrives at the first Burning Man in the desert, without any supplies, including water, and trips out on a triple dose of LSD. But he finds a purpose and direction in life, building the man and the city that will be consumed by flames. Ah, there are the chickens, and a zany cast of human characters. Perez provides a “grunts’ eye view” of Burning Man. Nary a mention as to its purpose or not, other than a lot of camaraderie. Burning Man now occurs annually in the Black Rock desert of northwest Nevada, around the town of Gerlach, population of 100. For sure, there are plenty of interactions between these later day “hippies” and the conservative ranchers and law enforcement in the area. Now, if I am given the allocated time, I intend to read more about Burning Man, thanks to Perez’ introduction. It seems that it has gentrified a bit, no doubt to the dismay of the original founders. Though this year’s event was canceled due to COVID, the individual ticket prices to attend are now around 500 bucks, with another 100 for the vehicle, per Wikipedia, which goes on to say: “Burning Man has attracted a number of billionaires and celebrities, many of them from Silicon Valley and Hollywood. It has become a networking event for them, with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, once stating that Burning Man ‘is Silicon Valley’." An ALT Bohemian Grove? Ah, the unlikely connections among the varying disparate elements in that drama of life. As Perez relates how he was building away, ultimately becoming the Chief of the Department of Public Works, I could not help but think how I once worked for the boys in Bohemian Grove, building bunkers, inter alia. I had a “cozy one” at LZ Schuller, where I lived for 4-5 months, made out of 105 mm ammo boxes, filled with dirt. The entire landscape of Vietnam was dotted with such bases and such structures, including an almost “city” that was the basecamp of the 4th Infantry Division, outside Pleiku. All, absolutely all of it was gone when I saw the areas on my return visits, ‘94-’96. Not even a sandbag left. The Vietnamese had built a school at LZ Uplift and a hospital at LZ North English. Built to last. Burning Man, discarded bunkers, reflections of the consumer society and, where the story all began, the boys at Bohemian Grove. Many thanks to my daughter for a great intro into another facet of Americana and thanks to “The Coyote” for his remembrances from the days of yore. 4-stars.
One of My Favorite Books
I own a cottage on Lake Huron in Michigan and, several weeks ago, one of my neighbors up there stopped by and brought a copy of this book, written by her brother. Now, I'm a bit of an arm-chair hippy meaning, that now that I'm in my sixties, I tend to live vicariously through the stories of others who can still make the rounds. I've always wondered what being a part of "Burning Man" would be like. This book took me into the wonderful adventures of the author who worked his way into being a major part of that yearly event. Starting out as a novice who travels into the dessert to participate in the event and doesn't event think to bring the necessities that he will need to survive in that climate, he quickly adapts and becomes an important part of the ongoing circus that is Burning Man. What I loved about the book is the cast of characters that you meet! It seems that a good portion of the good people that don't necessarily fit in to everyday society show up to work and help out. I won't go into detail other than to say, I would love to spend some time with these folks. A warning for the animal lovers, (I'm talking to you Vegans and PETA members), some bad things happen to some of the animals who are part of the story. I appreciated the author's efforts as he puts both the good and the bad into his book. There is some tragedy in the story but there is a lot of humor too! I got swept away in the story and reading it felt like I was there!
Only at Burning Man could these stories be true. Fantastic!
Coyote is what you get when a more coherent Hunter S. Thompson meets a dusty version of Thoreau on the blank canvas of the Black Rock Desert. Built to Burn is a must read for everyone that has ever said, "Burning Man changed my life." And for those that have never made it Home, a glimpse into the cacophony that draws us desert carnies in year after year.
Buy 2 copies, mail one to a homesick friend.
The sheer audacity it takes to put these tales on a page is a crime in itself, the author must have imagined this on a long drug trip... I can't wait to read it!
Fantastic stories from the Burning Man world
This book is a trip down memory lane for anyone that attended Burning Man or knew the characters back in the late 90s. It really captures the voices of the people I knew from this time frame I have interacted with in the Black Rock Desert and beyond. It gives you a hint to what it was like to have attended the event when the population was still pretty small. You do not need to have attended Burning Man to understand the stories or enjoy them. I think if you met any of the people, you'd feel as if you already knew them. There is a great story about the first time Tony met Flash over hamburgers. I had a similar story and it brought back memories of the hamburger stand as well as tied together a lot of mysteries in the back of my mind. It's worth a read.
A fine tale about the act of creation
A true and extremely honest account of building Black Rock City, and those that build it. Funny as well, with a grand cast of true characters.
Couldn't put it down
Especially this year, which would have been my sixth year learning about myself and the playa....this book was a gift! aI journey I could be a part of when I couldn't be a part of the Playa. So well written and entertaining, I hope those who have been, read it, and those who havent' been read it and understand more of the blood, sweat and tears that built a city that has a life of it's own...made entirley by the blood, sweat and tears of those that love it.
Now you too can look behind the curtain of early Burning Man!
As a Burner for 22 consecutive years, and someone has contributed to The Burning Man Project since 2005, I am lucky to know and work with Tony Perez, aka "Coyote". One of the great benefits of our acquaintance has been getting the hear the stories. The amazing tales from-the-beginning, from the early glory – and gory – days! When I read Built to Burn I heard Coyote's speaking voice. Until there's an audio book (please let there be an audio book someday!), you are invited to absorb the magic from the written page. We all missed the Burn in 2020. Fill that hole in your heart with Built to Burn, and then send copies to your friends and families, so they might come to start to understand your crazy annual pilgrimage to the Black Rock Desert. Newbies welcomed too!
Transports you to the playa
What a storyteller! Many say that you can't describe what it's like to go to the Burning Man, that it has to be experienced. Yet paging through these tales fills in the fabled history of early Burns with a voice that rings true to the playa. I'm only a couple chapters in and already I don't want it to end. Thanks for sharing this with the world!
A delightful historical look back at the Burning Man event
Coyote, in his humorous and witty prose, takes us back 25 years to the beginnings of the annual Burning Man event in Nevada. Beginning in 1996, it traces Coyote's first few traipses into the Black Rock desert and his experience with local ranchers and town characters from nearby Gerlach. It's well-written, connects the present to the valuable past and lessons learned, and describes how to remove a dead cow from a house. It's perfect for reading (and chuckling) aloud around a campfire. Highly recommended and deeply respected.
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