Burning Man became a different animal this year, in at least a few senses. For one thing, it became known widely to the outside world: The 1997 edition wasn't just written about in the wider media, it was previewed extensively, as the dailies, weeklies, and TV news shows all put it into the News Product Grinder and spit it out for a mainstream audience's gawking pleasure. Plus, there was a new playa, with a new form and new rules. With this in mind, Wired News asked a collection of observers/participants to give us their impressions of Burning Man '97.
The Draw of Zany Insurrection : Despite a yearly loss of intimacy, a festival that celebrates humanity's surreal impulses is enough to keep Brad Wieners coming back.
Strange as It Ever Was: Rules don't apply, and expectations based on years past are equally worthless to Molly Wright Steenson.
Traveling Beyond the Past to Experience Anew: Rebecca Eisenberg tells why it helped to see this year's event through the eyes of newbies.
Desert Storm: In Black Rock City, events, crowds, and dust devils appear and disappear with the same disarming speed for Michael Murphy.
