Ode to three decades

For the last two weeks I’ve been pouring over back issues, 151 of them, containing about 7000 pages. I, and Lisa Turner, have extracted some gems for this issue’s feature, “The Best 30 Years,” (page 22). Stacey, my wife, helped lots. And our wizard designer Steve illustrated and built the pages. I think you’ll find it lots of fun to read.
Now alone in the office late at night, I’m overwhelmed. This has been the first time in my life I’ve looked back over, and read, so many of Nexus’ past articles.

I’m immensely proud of our work. I feel such appreciation for all those with whom I have been fortunate to work over 30 years: associate publishers, editors, writers, designers, etc.

But most of all I feel overwhelmmixed-with-exhilaration about the immensity of our task: to distill a wide world of information into articles that we hope will change your life. We want you, and the community of people, plants and animals you affect, to become healthier in every way because of what you read here. That means healthier physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. We have always tried to make everything you read here relevant, interesting and even essential to your life.

For example, we’ve interviewed leading nutritional experts, surveyed the latest diet regimens, and summarized the latest nutrition research many hundreds of times in these pages. We do the same for complementary and alternative medicine. Ditto psychology, bodywork, and metaphysics.

Perhaps more than any other magazine in our genre we shine the light of science on all these topics. We recently interviewed Shinzen Young about science’s interest in meditation. Before that we interviewed William Walsh Ph.D. about the biochemistry of mental health. Before that Stephen Porges Ph.D. about his new influential theory of our “social engagement” nervous system. Before them hundreds of others.

We’re even bold enough to think we could enrich your life spiritually via articles we print. Most of our 30 years we’ve been the only Denver-area periodical to cover the new emergent American spirituality, such as New Thought Christianity, Buddhism, Yoga, Gnosticism, Jewish Renewal, Sufism, Shamanism and dozens of other traditions. We’ve discussed subjects such as sexuality, Bible criticism, fundamentalism, the sacred feminine, enlightenment and channeling. And we’ve tried to make you think and ask questions, even when it’s uncomfortable. As I peel back yellowed newsprint pages from the 80s and 90s I am struck with how many times we waded into controversy. For instance, blowing the whistle in early ’87 on the immorality of the pyramid investment scheme called the Airplane Game, that swept the holistic community. Across the cover we wrote, “If you won at Airplane, give it all back.” “Winning” the game meant getting $1200 from 7 other gullible people, a total of $10,500 (it would be $20,354 today). We calculated several hundred people had “won”. We also waded into controversy with our articles exposing the inherent deception in MLMs (’99), satanic abuse hysteria (‘93), illness from algae supplements (96) or the unethical behavior of some gurus (’95, ‘97).

Now the clock strikes one and I must sleep. Tomorrow I send issue number 152 to the press.

We want your story
Next year, 2010, is our 30th anniversary here at Nexus! We will be celebrating in all 6 issues, and we want to include your stories. Please write us about your experiences with Nexus, either recent, or 30 years ago: our articles, our covers or other art, our advertisers, or the community it all represents. Please, we really want to hear from YOU! Email Info@nexuspub.com or send to 1680 6th St, #6, Boulder CO 80302.