Stuart Mangrum – The Cacophonous Roots of Burning Man

Stuart’s talk will explore the evolution of Burning Man through the lens of its cultural antecedents, and trace the lineage of key elements of today’s global movement to the individuals and groups who first brought the Man to the Nevada desert. The 10 Principles were based not on the utopian ideals of a single visionary but written after 18 years of thoughtful observation of the community and its behaviors. So who were those early Burners and why were they behaving that way? What were their influences, and what cultural values did they bring with them to the middle of nowhere? Unraveling the answers begins with a close look at San Francisco in the 1990s, where the Cacophony Society formed the nexus of a thriving underground milieu devoted to the pursuit of experiences “beyond the pale of mainstream society.”