Today’s episode is an encore presentation of a show that aired live on Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR) in 2019 to get you all juiced up for this year’s dirt rave. It features a playful conversation about vulnerability, consent, the trickster, and instant manifestation with Jax, Wolverine, and David Block, the Human Experience. Also, every year…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Rebecca Ivory to read and discuss Eamon McGuinness’s story, ‘Viewpoint’, originally published in Issue 38, Volume 2: Summer 2018 of The Stinging Fly. Rebecca Ivory is a writer based in Dublin. Her short fiction has appeared in The Stinging Fly, Banshee, The Tangerine and Fallow Media…

After the shocking decision of an advisory committee recommendation that the FDA reject MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, I wanted to speak to someone who understands the difference between clinical trials and private practice. Dr. Jennifer Tippett is a licensed clinical psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutic Developme…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Roisin Kiberd to read and discuss John Patrick McHugh’s essay, ‘Name Your Character’, originally published in Issue 44/Volume 2: Summer 2021 of The Stinging Fly. Róisín Kiberd has written essays and features for the The Stinging Fly, The Dublin Review, Winter Papers, The White Review…

You know those pithy BuzzFeed listicles about being too old for music festivals? Well, the idea is rather silly. Festivals are multi-generational celebrations where children with glittering faces play alongside elders who share their wisdom. The adventure of a festival is enriched by all ages, much like how our lives are enriched by various stages …

A year and a half ago, I went on an antidepressant medication, Wellbutrin, which is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. After 20 years of plant medicine, meditation, therapy, and other healing modalities, which I still use, I was still experiencing persistent challenges. With the support of my advisors and my doctor, I decided to an a…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Caoilinn Hughes to read and discuss Emma Devlin’s short story, ‘The Gift’ originally published in Issue 49 Volume 2, Winter 2023-4. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience as part of Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2024. Please note: there are some brief mome…

Welcome back to the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast. I'm your host, Eamon Armstrong. Today on the show, we're welcoming back Tony Moss. Tony is an artist, producer, and member of the Bird Tribe Music Collective. He is also an ayahuasca facilitator with 30 years of experience and has just released a new album, Joy. In today's conversation, we discuss th…

In a world beset by tragedy its important to learn how to grieve. If you don’t feel your feelings you’re going to have problems, but how exactly should we tend to our grief? Today, we are welcoming back Camille Barton to celebrate the publication of their first book, Tending Grief: Embodied Rituals for Holding Our Sorrow and Growing Cultures of Car…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Gavin Corbett to read and discuss Rebecca Ivory’s short story, ‘Arrivals’ originally published in Issue 45 Volume 2, Winter 2021-2. The story was written as part of the ‘One Night Stands’ project, curated by Thomas Morris, for which Rebecca and three other writers were asked to write…

Tina Nance, yin yoga and embodiment specialist returns to Life is a Festival to share her evolving ideas around gender, trauma healing, and embodiment. In today's episode, we continue our exploration of gender and sexuality. We dive into processing trauma within the nervous system and whether a finite amount of psychological "garbage" needs to be p…

Welcome back to the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast. After a hiatus of a year and a half, we're excited to announce our return, thanks to our new sponsors, Hurricane Lotus (formerly Maya, the original sponsor of this show) and Holos Global, we are now back and releasing regular episodes. On today's show, I’m speaking with Alexander Beiner, author of "T…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by Dean Fee and Emily Cooper to discuss their work as writers and editors of The Pig's Back. Read and discussed on the podcast are Danielle McLaughlin’s short story, 'Night of the Silver Fox’ originally published in Issue 23, Volume 2 of The Stinging Fly, and Mathew Sweeney's poem, 'Donegal', …

Today's episode is about love and all its messy colors. Guinevere Rhonwen & Lizz Larouge created the festival Colours of Love on the island d of Koh Phangan as their wedding celebration and continued it even as they were separating. In this episode, we explore how they embraced love while parting ways at the place of their union. We cover a wide ra…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Claire-Louise Bennett to read and discuss Lucy Sweeney Byrne’s short story, ‘To Cure a Body’ originally published in Issue 35, Volume 2, a special Fear & Fantasy issue, guested edited by Mia Gallagher. You can access the story here. Claire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire and stud…

I've never had so many requests for guests to return to the show as I have for Sami and Sharon. As you may recall, a few days after the events of October 7th, I asked Midburn co-founder and artivist Sharon Avraham, and his Palestinian theme camp co-lead, peace activist Sami Awad, to come on the show and share their immediate experience. Much has ha…

Does open relating always lead to polyagony? Or is there a way to heal the wounds of gender and experience love free from fear? Today we are revisiting an episode originally released in 2019 with Ian McKenzie and Julia Maryanska about the Love School at Tamera. Their documentary "Village of Lovers," will be available at a global streaming premiere …

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Sheena Patel to read and discuss Oisín Fagan’s short story, ‘Triangle’ originally published in Issue 39, Volume 2 of The Stinging Fly. You can access the story here. Sheena Patel is a writer and assistant director for the film and TV industry. She is part of the 4 Brown Girls Who Wri…

In Part Two of our Taoist sexuality series, focusing on woman’s body’s and yin principles, I speak with the Senior Woman’s Instructor at Tao Garden, Gillian Reid. Gillian shares her insights on yin and yang energy, self-love, and intimacy. Beginning each day with gratitude and stretching, she highlights the importance of focusing on the heart and f…

Guys, have you ever wished that instead of ejaculating and falling asleep, you could shoot orgasmic energy up the back of your spine to revitalize your mind and experience rolling orgasms? Well, it turns out there's an ancient Taoist practice that teaches just that, and all it takes is a bit of training. After an erotic detox last year, I embarked …

Lately I've noticed a curious trend: many of my female friends, particularly those from the Burning Man community, are exploring a path of sexual healing by becoming Professional Dommes. To shed light on this phenomenon, I spoke to Colette Pervette, a professional dominatrix and the mentor behind MistressClass, an immersive program designed to guid…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Jan Carson to read and discuss Sheila Armstrong’s short story, 'Harlow'. Originally published on The Stinging Fly website in 2021, 'Harlow' is and available to read here. Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator based in Belfast. Her first novel, Malcolm Orange Disappear…

Today we're immersing into immersive experience design through one of the world's most iconic theatrical experiences, Sleep No More. Joining the production right out of college, my guest Ilana Gilovich-Wave is now Sleep No More’s Chief Storyteller. In today’s episode, I chat with Ilana about Sleep No More, immersive experience design, and carving o…

Apparently, ancient Ireland was like the Amazon, with impenetrable forests navigable only by rivers, deep mysticism, and its very own indigenous medicine, the psychedelic Liberty Cap mushrooms. Today on the show, recorded in Southern Ireland, I’m speaking with Darragh Stewart. Darragh is not only a molecular biologist and a passionate advocate of C…

On October 7th, Natalie Sanandaji, a Persian Jew from New York, attended a psytrance festival, to dance and feel the acceptance she only finds among her fellow peace-loving trancers. The events of that day and what has followed are deeply etched in our global consciousness. Today on Life is a Festival, Natalie tells her story. Our conversation toda…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Colin Barrett to read and discuss David McGrath’s short story, ‘The Untameable Donkey’, originally published in our All New Writers issue, Winter 2022/23. Colin Barrett grew up in County Mayo. His stories have been published in The Stinging Fly, Granta, Harper’s and the New Yorker. H…

In light of the recent tragic events in Israel, particularly the horrific attack at Nova festival, I wanted to offer the global festival community a conversation centered on hope. Today's Life is a Festival episode features Sharon Avraham, co-founder of Midburn, and his theme camp co-producer, Palestinian activist Sami Awad, as they extend a call f…

Today we dive deep into the magical world of shenanigans — or immersive experience design for the uninitiated — with our guest, Tyler Hanson, the brain behind Kulturehaus, a trailblazing agency for festival immersive imagineers. On the show, we explore the crucial role of humor in human survival. We take a historical journey of immersive art from t…

On this month’s episode, publisher and founding editor Declan Meade is joined by poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin who has just been announced as The Stinging Fly’s next poetry editor. Annemarie will take over the role from Cal Doyle in November. Here she talks about her own work as poet and editor, and reads recently published poems by Paula Meehan and …

Burning Man 2023 was many things, most of which were not accurately portrayed in the media. We experienced a weather event that united us, tested our resilience, and sparked a renewed sense of purpose while also accelerating a critical examination of where Burning Man stands in the broader context of sustainability. Today on the show, I've asked fi…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Kevin Power to read and discuss Eimear Ryan’s short story, ‘Body Clock’, originally published in our Winter 2009/10 issue. Kevin Power is the author of two novels, Bad Day in Blackrock (2008) and White City (2021), as well as a book of criticism, The Written World (2022). He is the w…

Happy procrastination week, my fellow burners! In aid of my own procrastination, I've repurposed an early episode, which is still my favorite on the subject of Burning Man. In this interview, I discuss the philosophy of Black Rock City with Burning Man’s Philosopher Laureate, Caveat Magister (the pen name of Benjamin Wachs). Additionally, I offer a…

My guest today is Max Stossel, an award-winning poet who was named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year. Max and I are talking about one of my all-time favorite subjects: our relationship with the creative muse. You might learn a thing or two about getting unstuck creatively, but at the very least, you are about to hear some except…

Today's episode is dedicated to my dear friend, Eviatar Frankel, who died a week ago from complications related to a rare lymphoma. I was privileged to sit with Ev in a men's circle throughout his battle with cancer. Each week, and in countless private conversations, he displayed remarkable grace. This podcast features readings from Eviatar's perso…

Psychedelic Science, the largest psychedelic conference in history, put on by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, has come and gone. Today, to recap this event and to emphasize the vital role of the trickster in the psychedelic movement, I'm speaking with Dennis Walker, the Instagram satirist well-known for his roastings of a…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Sophie Mackintosh to read and discuss David Hayden’s short story, ‘Leckerdam of the Golden Hand’, originally published in our Summer 2016 issue. Sophie Mackintosh is the author of three novels: The Water Cure, Blue Ticket and Cursed Bread. Her debut novel was longlisted for the Man B…

Today on the show, I'm speaking with the Godfather of ketamine therapy, author of The Ketamine Papers, and creator of the ketamine lozenge, Dr. Phil Wolfson. This episode marks the first time Phil has shared his insights on this mercurial molecule for those who use it recreationally, or as he prefers to term it, "ground use." As Phil stresses on th…

Today on the show, I'm in conversation with Sophie Strand, the mistress of mycelial masculinity and author of The Flowering Wand. Healthy masculinity has been a passion of mine for years and it was an honor to learn from this neo-troubadour animist and her poetic insights. During our discussion, we discuss the androgynous rockstar Dionysus, modern …

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Lucy Caldwell to read and discuss Niamh Prior’s short story, ‘Peter and Jane’. ‘Peter and Jane’ was originally published in July 2021 as part of our online fiction series. Lucy Caldwell was born in Belfast in 1981. She is the author of four novels, several stage plays and radio drama…

Kambo, an Amazonian medicine derived from the secretions of the Phyllomedusa bicolor—also known as the giant monkey tree frog—has been instrumental in maintaining my mental health for the past six years. Today's guest, facilitator Jetta Blaine, helps us understand why, and it boils down to peptides.Our episode begins with essential considerations a…

Would you believe that carnivals are a crucial element of social movements? Indeed, today's guest, Professor Nick Powers, suggests that by emphasizing fun, sacrilege, and even the grotesque, we can safeguard social justice against dogmatism and self-righteousness, preventing its co-option. During our conversation, Nick and I reminisce about our ear…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Darran Anderson to read and discuss Mary O’Donoghue’s short story, ‘During the Russian Blizzard’. The story first appeared in the Summer 2014 issue of the magazine and was included in Stinging Fly Stories, 2018. It is one of twelve stories included in The Hour After Happy Hour, Mary’…

Today is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and I believe this issue to be the most pressing concern facing our community of cognitive liberty. I use drugs and psychedelics to explore my consciousness, and many of the people I love do the same. The issue of fentanyl adulteration and the 100,000 deaths categorized as overdoses in 2020 indicate that th…

People in conscious communities often pay lip service to shadow work, but what does it truly mean to embrace darkness—both the darkness of the world and within our own hearts? Snow Raven (Haar Suor), a member of the shamanic Sakha people from Arctic Siberia, knows darkness intimately, and it has inspired her transformative music from America's Got …

Victorien is one of the most joyful people I know. The French DJ, flutist, and social impact entrepreneur seems to have a few things figured out. From Vipassana meditation to sobriety, he shares his secrets with us today. On the show, we begin by discussing the nature of joy and despair. Victorien shares his tools for cultivating joy, starting with…

Today's conversation is a serious one, yet it is approached with the poetic grace that only Stephen Jenkinson can deliver. Personal growth and healing alone won't shield us from impending catastrophes, but perhaps embracing them might... just maybe. In this episode, we discuss why personal growth for its own sake can resemble a tumor and examine th…

Today Ian Mackenzie returns to Life is a Festival to discuss mythopoetic masculinity. Ian is a filmmaker, essayist, and host of the Mythic Masculine Podcast and A Gathering of Stories. He is teaching a new online class called Re-storying Masculinity with Advaya which starts on March 14th. Our conversation begins with a history of the Mythopoetic Me…

Just over a month ago, the beloved Visionary Artist Android Jones lost his life's work and all his tools for creation in a fire on his property in Colorado. Today, Android returns to Life is a Festival to share his experience of loss, the profound opening of asking for help and his thoughts on AI art. On the program Android describes how he designe…

In 2017 I attended Afrikburn, the Burning Man regional event which takes place a few hours north of Cape Town in the Tankwa Karoo. Afterwards, I wrote an article called “Afrikburn: The Unbearable Whiteness of Burning” with the wisdom and support of Co-founder and Creative Director Monique Shiess. Today on the show, I reconnect with Monique to discu…

Why is a Buddhist meditation teacher trying to heal attachment styles? Aren’t Buddhists supposed to be all about non-attachment? Today's guest, George Haas, has been teaching meditation since 2000, and lately focuses primarily on preparing the path to enlightenment by resolving maladaptive responses to difficult childhood experiences. On the show w…