So what's the deal with Burning Man, the desert festival  and community so many Oaklanders go to in August? The Oakland Public Library has asked local experts to shed some light on this subject, which has Bay Area roots and draws so heavily on our local creativity and radical idealism.

On Sunday, August 7, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Main Library at 125 14th Street presents "From Bay to Playa: The Art, Music, and Culture of Burning Man," with author Steven Jones and a panel of organizers and artists. The event will take place in the Bradley Walters Community Room.

Each summer, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert (also known as "the playa") to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever.

Burning Man began 25 years ago as a small, spontaneous gathering on San Francisco’s Baker Beach, which culminated with the burning of an 8-foot wooden man. Five years later, the wooden man had grown to 40 feet and was torched in the Nevada desert. And while Burning Man has come to attract people from all around the world, Bay Area artists -- including many from Oakland -- continue to exert a profound influence on the Burning Man event.

Recently, Steven Jones published a book about this experience. He will offer a brief discussion about his inspiration for writing The Tribes of Burning Man: How an Experimental City in the Desert is Shaping the New American Counterculture.

Following Jones’ presentation, a panel including others who are involved in the Burning Man community will give their perspectives. To date, the panel includes:  Karen Cusolito of American Steel, who creates fantastic, huge, fiery sculptures; Syd Gris of Opulent Temple; Jessica Hobbs, one of the designers behind the Temple of Flux; Marian Goodell, Board Member for Burning Man Foundation; and Michael Snook, who founded NIMBY in April of 2004.

For more Burning Man in Oakland stories, check out OL: http://oaklandlocal.com/tags/burning-man

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