Larry Harvey passed away after a stroke on 4/28/2018.
His good friend John Perry Barlow, born in the same year as him (1948), died earlier this year on the 22nd anniversary of his Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace.
According to the official account, Burning Man is in its 33rd year this year.
Rather than a eulogy, we’ve made a tribute to Larry – in his own words.
It’s an amazing thing that he and his collaborators created, that’s for sure. What will happen to the philosophy of Burning Man now, without its Chief Philosopher? Perhaps it will live on through the Ten Principles, but there was a philosophy of Burning Man long before those came out.
We support A Balanced Perspective’s suggestion that The Man this year wear a cowboy hat atop his robot head, in honor of his Creator.
Here’s some of the worldwide media coverage of Larry’s passing:
My Brother Larry: A Photo Essay by Stewart Harvey
Official Burning Man obituary by Stuart Mangrum
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A little late here, but you might find this interesting, Zos. Looks like a couple versions of Larry’s whereabouts during the late 60s/early 70s were floated out there right after his passing. One comes from apparent close friend Stuart Mangrum, former Bmorg Propaganda Minister and Air Force intelligence officer. The other comes from Larry’s brother. Also, I never knew that Larry was in Germany doing “paperwork” during Vietnam. That seems like the position you got either because you have someone pulling strings… or because you are doing more than “paperwork”.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-mangrum-9977099
Linguist / Intelligence Analyst
United States Air Force
1979 – 1988 (9 years)
https://journal.burningman.org/2018/04/news/official-announcements/in-memoriam-larry-harvey-1948-2018/
After brief encounters with the US Army and Portland State University, Larry moved to San Francisco in 1969, and settled in the still-flowering Haight-Ashbury district.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-larry-harvey-20180428-story.html
His brother, Stewart Harvey, said in a post Saturday that the two were adopted by farmers “Shorty” and Katherine Harvey and grew up outside of Portland, Ore. The brothers, who were not related by blood, were extremely close.
Larry Harvey went to San Francisco during the summers of 1967 and 1968 but did not move there until 1974, his brother said. He lived in the Haight-Ashbury district for many years.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/countercultural-guru-who-founded-burning-man-festival-dead-at-70/
Mr. Harvey served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, stationed in Germany doing clerical work. After his discharge, he briefly attended Portland State University on the GI Bill before moving to San Francisco in the 1970s.
http://www.wbt.com/articles/ap-news/correction-obit-larry-harvey-story
In a story April 28 about the death of Larry Harvey, the founder of the celebration known as “Burning Man,” The Associated Press reported erroneously that he arrived in San Francisco in 1965 at age 17. His brother, Stewart Harvey, says Larry Harvey went to San Francisco during the summers of 1967 and 1968, but did not move there until 1974. The story also erroneously reported the year of the Summer of Love; it was 1967, not 1965.
EDIT- Also, you gotta love how the Presidio is now claiming Burning Man. Gee, what else was happening at the Presidio in 1986?
https://www.presidio.gov/blog/then-and-now-burning-man-at-baker-beach
Here is the 2015 financial analysis. Nothing there about Larry Harvey. Nothing there that is false.
https://burners.me/2016/11/25/analysis-burning-man-project-2015-financials/amp/
Here is the FT article quoted.
https://burners.me/2016/08/22/financial-times-sits-down-for-shrimp-with-larry/
As ABP pointed out, what we said then happened. You can’t classify a prediction that then comes true as a lie. Other predictions in this article, like BMorg would do nothing to reduce their carbon footprint, also came true.
Points for trying One Who Doesn’t Want To Know, but you have failed to produce any evidence to support your outrageous claims.
Well I hope your sudden support for the Larry, the founders, Burning Man’s finances and fildelity to the principles will continue. We will be watching.
Please watch! You can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/steveouttrimcryptobeast
And I’ve always supported DARPA, Stanford, and Berkeley (the Founders).
>fildelity to the principles
The sacred Principles didn’t exist before Larry pulled them out of his ass in 2004. About the same time the party died.
Scribe penned a good eulogy of Larry Harvey, of the good, and it includes a tad of the not so good. He discusses his interview, with Larry, within 2004, of the freaks, and cool kids ‘taking out a full-page ad in my newspaper saying they “feel this event which we made great has gotten away from us and we would like it back.” He links towards his article The Future of Burning Man, penned prior of the burn of 2011, he penned ‘Oh yeah, and as Harvey made clear in his April speech announcing the conversion to the new nonprofit (see “Man on the move,” 4/5/11), the six board members also want to cash out with significant financial payouts as they begin to relinquish control of the event in phases over the next six years or so.’
Kudos in regards to the new video tribute to Larry, burnersxxx, it is very good.
It is a shame One Who Doesn’t Want To Know polluted your tribute post to Larry with his many outrageous claims, and repeat of his false statements. He did the same manner of false statements on the prior post, making attempts to argue of the six founders of the Burning Man Project will not be paid, from the Burning Man Project, for the valuable Burning Man(tm) trademarks, and he did not read the links of back up of their second cashout of this manner. Their two cashouts are done in a most legal manner, I have never stated any different, in despite of his lies implying of quite the opposite.
Forgive my lashing out in frustration
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them… so many fingers now grasping for it. Where is it RIP I had it, no it’s mine!
Is it impossible to keep Larry on ice and Weekend at Bernie’s him? I’d actually buy a ticket for any price on eBay to watch that.
Very good tribute, Burnersxxx. Excellent concept to just use his own words.
Would be interesting if you could time stamp the various cuts. Might help others learn from his life.
Thanks very much!
When you pit a mic in front of Larry he expounded a great philosophy. This should be required viewing for anyone contemplating going. Too bad he never got to Gratitude in his principles.
You have a repeat at 13:20-13:48 and 25:04-25:32. You could delete either. Perhaps the latter cut.
thanks for that I have uploaded the edited one without the second instance of the clip to Facebook and dTube but YouTube doesn’t let me replace the file and I can’t make sense of their built-in editor.
Since you may not have a video production background, you have a lot of “jump-cuts” where you skip in the same longer clip. The visual vernacular we all know – but may not realize – is that you handle this with a “dissolve” rather than a simple cut. (As they say in TV production class, “a dissolve is used when you have a change in location or time.”) You see it on TV all the time. It is a bit more work, but if you are using MovieMaker it is an easy transition to use between two cuts.
This is offered to refine your tribute so it will seem more professional with the hopes that it will be used as a philosphical reference, particularly for those that think Burning Man is just a “barter” society.
RIP Larry. We wish his friends, and his loved ones, peace in regards of his passing.
Marian properly requested two days of reflection after Larry’s passing last week. Please accept my apology for my discussion of the Burning Man Project Board, and the bylaws, below. I am in agreement, it was still too soon.
What a nice tribute from a site that has smeared his reputation with innuendo for years. I thought you were going to show a modicum of class and just let it go without comment, but no you had to be hypocrites and chime in.
Some things that have come out since his death. Larry wasn’t taking millions out of the Burning Man budget. He got paid about $200k a year as the president. He still lived in the same rent controlled apartment he lived in when he first burned the man on the beach some thirty-odd years ago.
He didn’t have a lavish lifestyle. He didn’t need one. When you spend every day doing the thing that you love, money is not an issue. Larry love culture, not luxury. Larry struck it rich in an experience mine years ago and has lived on that ever since. It’s fitting his vision led him, in the end, to the Smithsonian. He helped create an American treasure.
In addendum: Fuck you
I totally agree. I came here specifically to say pretty much the same thing. In life you couldn’t shit on the man or his idea enough and now that he’s passed on you play it up with your lame-ass, sycophantic ‘tribute’.
Seriously. Fuck you. You hypocritical ass hat.
What would you prefer? A detailed list of his character flaws and poor decisions? Did you even watch the video?
I would prefer you shut the fuck up and not be a hypocrite. You lied about Larry for years. You demeaned hm for years. You were wrong. Just shut the fuck up.
Give me a single example of a lie I told about Larry Harvey.
How about The founders were syphoning money from the event to enrich themselves hypocrite.
Show me where I said that.
No. I don’t think I’m going to waste any more time with you. If you want to have some foil hat conspiracy theory website that attacks everything Larry worked to create and you don’t have the balls to stand behind your own positions, just marinate in your own mendacity. The hypocrisy is so obvious everyone know what I talking about.
Oh ok. You’re making an accusation you can’t back up, unlike this site where everything is backed with evidence, citations, references, and mostly quotes from the people involved in their own words – as is the case in this video you are commenting on, which you would see if you watched it.
If Larry never made any money from Burning Man in 33 years that is stupid, not noble.
Of course you’re the kind of idiot that thinks how much money you make says anything about you’re worth. I believe you’re rich. Enough said.
Show me the evidence that Larry died without an estate to pass on to his chosen heirs.
I didn’t say he was poor. I said he lived modestly.
I don’t need to “back up” that which is obvious. I wouldn’t waste my time going through your ridiculous posts to find specific examples of your bullshit. Anyone who has spent anytime on this site knows I’m right. Did I mention: Fuck you
Funny, I see 270,000 likes on Facebook and thousands of visitors every day. Where is the tribute YOU made for Larry? You spend your time spewing hate and bile on the Internet, why? Are you fighting for Good? Or Evil? Think about it, get some perspective I implore you.
I only use this name here. My tributes are out there and people believe they are sincere. That’s because I don’t spend my time tearing down what Larry created and then put up some “tribute” to him. Have the courage to pick a lane.
“What would you prefer? A detailed list of his character flaws and poor decisions? ”
Certainly a reasonable expectation on my part given your almost obsessive tendency to cut, stab and hew at any aspect of the man’s life, what he helped to create, what he believed, what he said or ever dreamed about. I’ll man up and give you a modicum of credit for not following through with your knee-jerk tendency to throw shit at the man now that he’s dead though that too is likely a temporary reprieve on your part.
You remain an ass.
It’s marvelous how the trolls are so desperate to bait me into doing the very thing they are railing against me for doing (except that I’m not doing it, and never have, which drives them even more mad).
I make the same challenge to you Honey Badger that I made to One Who Doesn’t Want To Know. Show me a single example of where I spoke of Larry Harvey in the way you are claiming. Since I have an “almost obsessive tendency”, it should be easy for you to find one. This blog provides a search function.
Analysis: Burning Man Project 2015 Financials – In which you imply the founders are being shady with Burning Man funds
“Maybe Larry’s going to FT seeking some new suckers financial heavyweights to chip in for the next phase of their real estate ambitions:”
In regards of their real estate ambitions, Reno Gazette Journal: Meet the millionaires who bought Burning Man’s Fly Ranch. As you know, the statements, and numbers, on this blog, in those regards, are backed up by links to their statements, their numbers, and their actions. You might click upon the links, and read the back up information.
How the hell is that statement not an insult to Larry? I’m just asking the guy to stop lying about what he’s been doing for years.
Billionaires kicked in millions of dollars to fund the next phase of their real estate ambitions. So how is that a lie?
We’ve proven you are a liar, spreading incorrect information here. You’ve failed to show any evidence that I’m one, yet you persist in your accusations.
“Larry’s…seeking some suckers”. Call me crazy, but that sounds to me like you’re calling Larry a conman. You are allowed to have any opinion you want. I’m just saying have the balls to admit to own up to it.
I have the balls to own up to the opinions I express on this site, see the tag line. Other than the guest posts (which I welcome anyone to write), the entire site is about my opinions, there is no need for me to own up to anything.
To your objection, from the theme of Burning Man that year “Carnival of Mirrors”:
“Classic carnivals, as theaters of illusion, upheld a very strict dividing line that separated carnies, cast as showmen, from members of a naïve public who were labeled chumps and suckers, marks and rubes. Our carnival, however, will perform an even more subversive trick — its motto is Include the Rube. The wall dividing the observer from observed will disappear, as by an act of magic; through the alchemy of interaction, everyone at once can be the carny and the fool.”
Larry Harvey’s own words.
And what does Larry’s description of the theme have to do with you portraying his efforts to secure the Fly property as a con? Hmmm… are those lights made of gas?
So the same people that Larry describes as suckers, I’m not allowed to describe as suckers? So much for radical inclusion and radical self expression.
I don’t think you’re an idiot. Larry was obviously talking about playing on the playa in the context of the theme. He wasn’t calling anyone in particular a sucker. You tried to make it seem like Larry was conning people. You’ve implied for years there was something wrong with the BM finances while Larry was the president. Everyone knows this. Why are you suddenly changing your tune?
Of all the items of which he might object, his choosing of objecting to the terming of donors to the Fly Ranch venture as suckers, and his objecting of the discussions of their cashout for the valuable Burning Man(tm) trademarks in the near future, making it most difficult to raise donations, a person might almost be of the belief of he, or his mates, might be professional fundraisers, perchance, involved with raising donations for the Fly Ranch venture, but that might be beyond belief.
RIP Larry, this is terrible news. We wish his friends, and his loved ones, peace in regards of his passing.
What Occurs From Here?
The Burning Man Project Bylaws govern the Burning Man Project, in a manner most similar of a constitution govern many nations. The bylaws were penned by lawyers for Larry and Marian, giving near to all power to them*. Larry was the President of the Burning Man Project, and the Chief Philosophic Officer. In addendum of the philosophic duties, I do not have a copy of the bylaws, at present, thusly, others might verify, but, in due of these positions, Larry was the Project Board Member in control of the Black Rock City LLC subsidiary, of which, it is in control of the Burning Man event, in addendum of Charlie Dolman, and one, or two, others. The bylaws prohibit other Project board members from proper oversight of the Burning Man event, Larry stated of they were not permitted to meddle in his business. In addendum, the bylaws state the Chief Philosophic Officer proposes ventures, and joint ventures, in the manner of the Fly Ranch development ventures, towards the Project board.
The Burning Man Project Board must vote for a new President, and a new Chief Philosophic Officer. In addendum, might the board vote to require of their payments for the Burning Man(tm) trademarks be disclosed, in due of, by their prior statements, the payments are to be done in the near future, and in due of the bylaws go to big lengths purposed to hide the conflicts of interests of the six founders of the Burning Man Project?
In due of Larry passing, and, in due prior health difficulties of two of the other five founders of the Burning Man Project, the bylaws are most in need of change. Burners, and the Burner Community, have numerous queries in regards of the Burning Man event, and in regards of other items, and they desire many changes to occur. My belief is of for the sole manner of desired changes to occur, is of the Burning Man Project Bylaws must be changed to empower the voices of the Burner Community, in an official manner, and, in the manner stated prior of the bait and switch penned within the bylaws, and Burners whom truely represent the Burner Community must be voted onto the board, and the bylaws must be changed to permit the other board members to speak, and discuss, the issues with the Burner Community.
What queries, and what changes, might Burners desire in regards of the Burning Man event, and upon other items?
* The statements, within the article, in regards of the Vogue photo shoot are not correct. In addendum, the links, by sfscribe, within the article, might be found upon 48hill.org. Accuracy is most important.
The proper link towards 48hills.org.
I spoke with Scribe specifically about the Vogue photo shoot and he is adamant he got the story correct, and that Marian is backpedaling. Believe who you want, Scribe has no reason to lie and has a track record of honest reporting.
Thank you for the correction. Scribe is a very good reporter and newspaper editor, I have linked to his reporting to back up many statements I have penned here.
That was a cool compilation. I love how authentic and thoughtful LH was. Bless his new journey and bless his new expression of self in relation to community- whatever that is now❤️
That was a cool compilation, and manner of penning an eulogy, burnersxxx. RIP Larry. This is a full interview within the compilation, by Mike Butcher, with Larry, and John Perry Barlow. I can not take credit in due of the suggestion of a hat on the robot man this burn, it is a common suggestion, and it is most appropriate.
Might any desire to participate in a most burnerly event, The How Weird Street Faire occurs Saturday, with ten awesome stages, and priorly of near to 40,000 participants, it is solely $15, or $20, to participate. Might the BMOrg change to permit their social media crew to permit discussion of burner community events of this manner on their Facebook groups, and upon their other sites?
And, The 19th annual How Weird Street Faire occurs in the City Sunday, 6 May 2018, not Saturday.
Mr. Harvey was an inspiration. In 2011 I saw him at Center Camp healing children with his hands. In 2013, my friend said she saw him levitate 3 feet while in the lotus position, gifting enlightenment to all onlookers.
Without his leadership, many people would have made a lot less money exploiting the creative arts community of the Bay Area and beyond. He brought so much happiness to these people.
Now Jesus has called him up to sing with the angels and sit at the left hand of God, the creator of the Universe and everything.
Word.