Early one evening on the way to Esplanade, I noticed a few glow bracelets scattered on the ground. Without thinking about it, I bent to pick them up, figuring they were either MOOP or a nice ground score. By the time I was upright, I had made two important determinations. First, the bracelets were attached to fishing lines. Second, the other end of the lines were rigged to actual fishing poles wielded by a duo of cackling conspirators. My boyfriend, Ranger JSchool, who has been to Black Rock City about 20 more times than I, rolled his eyes and joined in on the laughter. Seems I’d fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book: Hippie Fishing. If I’d had a beer in my hand, he’d certainly have needed to hold it for me so I could add to the laughter without spilling it all over the playa.
The culture of Burning Man snark and trickery came easily to me as it was immediately familiar. While most of my friends in high school were babysitting or waiting tables, I was skipping school and working nights for my job as a theater designer and stagehand. During my four years, I developed the snark and sass needed to thrive as a 5’1” girl in an industry of strong adult men who were always full of pranks, crass jokes, and silliness over the radio to pass the time between light and set changes.
I love Burning Man for many of the same reasons I loved that job. This summer will mark my 5th trip to That Thing In the Desert, and I am excited about digging out my work gloves and impish spirit in a matter of weeks. But not all Burners relish these kinds of experiences. Although I have yet to meet a Burner who’d just as soon skip the spectacular art installations and mutant vehicles on display, there is considerable diversity in the other reasons people take on the challenges of a vacation in an environment that, as WPC member Autocorrect tartly puts it, “is actively trying to kill us”.
All jokes aside, Burning Man works as an ongoing experiment because there are many kinds of experiences available, even if they don’t all get the same coverage in the American pop culture milieu. For example, some of the most profound things about Burning Man are the serendipitous, loving and joyful encounters that often occur during the Burn. PSST loves these and shared a story of a lonely walk in open playa where she came upon the Hug Deli, a project which featured a menu of hugs with fun “sides.” “I ordered the Bear hug,” she laughed, “with a side of tickle and this interaction really perked me up!”
That said, she and a number of our founders are included in the Burners who don’t automatically enjoy everything that happens on the playa, even if some others do consider them essential to the culture of the event. “I am not interested in many of the [typical] things at Burning Man like going to loud and crowded dance parties, dressing sexy, or taking lots of drugs,” PSST shared. “I also often feel on edge when I leave camp because I never know when someone is going to try to trick me.” I think I can safely assume that she would not share my appreciation for Hippie Fishing!
For some, another Black Rock City stressor is the notion that they may need to endure something uncomfortable in order to fit in. “I appreciate playfulness and surprises [at Burning Man] that bring joy without causing discomfort, fear, or exclusion…But I’m not a fan of playing tricks that aim to make others uncomfortable,” said EKE when I asked them about pranks at Burning Man.
Though JSchool is now on Team Loves Pranks (ask him to tell you about the time he agreed to a cattle prod to get a shot of Fireball), he also understands that these situations can be challenging to navigate, especially for new Burners. “My first year at Burning Man, I went up to a camp that was giving away stamps and they told me I had to do something like tell a joke in order to get one. I was shy and I couldn’t think of something, so I either didn’t do it or did something lame. I felt stupid and like I didn’t fit in.”
Other folks on our team are more neutral about the tomfoolery, but it’s certainly not why they burn. “I go [to Burning Man] to broaden my community and deepen my connection to them,” explained Autocorrect. “Also, I don’t get enough misery in my life!”
As our team was creating Word Play Cafe, our common refrain in defining what we most wanted participants to know about us was “All Are Welcome” or the principle of Radical Inclusion. In prioritizing this, we needed to define what specific actions to take given that word games are not always thought of as accessible to all. “Not every gift or activity needs to appeal to everyone; however, I believe it’s important for organizers to consider inclusivity when planning their activities,” EKE explained.
In our planning, we knew we needed to strike a balance between difficult puzzles for those who are highly skilled at solving and easier puzzles and games that do not require expertise to be enjoyable. We are so proud that many participants who visited WPC felt that we hit this one out of the park. “This was the most fun I’ve had playing crosswords,” shared Parachute. “It may just be one of those things I introduce back into my daily life off playa!”
But the most important step we took to achieve our Radical Inclusion goal was not about our games at all but rather centered on our vision for the emotional impact of our space. We wanted to create a place that was an intentional escape from Burning Man without having to leave the playa. No snark, no trickery, no dubstep, no cock rings. Just a relaxing and comfortable space to meet new people, play games, and decompress from the intensity outside our walls that left people feeling heard and happy.
Since comfort was a top priority, we encouraged people to stay, sometimes for hours at a time. We built real-time relationships with our visitors and invited folks to come back rather than aiming to entertain a continuously new set of participants throughout the week.
This dynamic was so compelling for some that it changed their perspective on their burn. That’s happened with our neighbor, Faceplant. “This was my 5th burn, and I’ve done it all – this time around I wanted to just relax, and that’s when I stumbled across the nearby WPC. The atmosphere was so chill…The people were kind and generous and I remember thinking on the first day that I’d probably just come back every morning. By Friday, they made me an ‘honorary’ member of the camp since I had been there all week.” Faceplant is now a member of the Core Team along with his lovely +1, Katie!
In 2022, we confirmed that there is demand for both these kinds of games and for the calm energy that our physical space provides. We were absolutely thrilled by the turnout and the messages we got in our guestbook.
Over and over, participants celebrated our achievement of creating a break from Burning Man along with many activities to choose from and confirmed how unique this actually is.
“This was a nice and different way to escape the heat AND connect with others in a group,” wrote Hobo. It may not be alchemy, but giving fellow Burners the rare gift of not having to choose between a large variety of activities or chilling out is the next best thing.
To crush it again in 2023, we need to grow our ranks during Burn Week. We need a breadth of skill sets to accomplish our goals for this year and are hoping there is a role on the WPC team that tickles your fancy. Are you super outgoing and want to let your inner diva shine? Grab that megaphone and work a shift as a Barker! Are you an extrovert who is not so good at word games? Come join me as a Wordista!
Are you an introvert and prefer not to talk to strangers? We got you! Help keep the dome organized over the course of a morning or afternoon. And of course, we need some word game Jedi’s to hang out with participants who need other folks to join them in playing our board games. No matter what your skill set, we invite you to join the Word Play Cafe team. We know you will be uplifted by the joy the project brings to the playa.
Whether you are from Andalusia, Zambia, or anywhere in between, you probably come to Burning Man, at least in part, because of the transformational experience that can be relied upon year in and year out. But transformation can be a lot of work. So, if you find yourself near 6:15 & E, stop on by Word Play Cafe to put your feet up and take refuge from the beautiful madness outside.
