We've been covering
some of the local concerns with potential oil and gas drilling
in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Mora Counties. To view links
of short grassroots videos on this topic, see our Local
Page.
An intellectual and moving discourse
exploring the power of giving. It meditates on the annual
Burning Man festival's embracement of a gift economy and
how this effects a host of social elements - in turn providing
a solid foundation for community and civic relations to
co-exist beautifully with radical self expression and self-reliance.
Library Journal review, 2005
Since 1986, residents of the Burning Man community in Nevada
have explored the dynamics of a temporary society in which
personal freedom, authentic individual expression, artistic
experimentation, mandatory participation, and a gift economy
are highly prized. Although this program focuses on the
latter, it cannot help but explore the other qualities as
well. In doing so, Roberts presents a documentary on an
annual experiment in community that, in exploring the topic
of "gifting," demonstrates the differences between barter
(an exchange of like item for like item) and a gift (freely
given with no strings attached). It differentiates between
traditional gifting (limited to families/tribes) and the
dynamic of gifting strangers to promote community.Volunteerism,
described as the purest form of gifting, manifests itself
in unique projects. For some libraries, the nudity of some
of the participants, including one small child playing on
a slip-and-slide, may cause some concern. However, with
this caveat, this compelling program is highly recommended
for art or "alternative economics" collections. Kathleen
Sullivan, Phoenix P.L