RS in the Grey Lady

Reality Sandwich has reached a noteworthy milestone -- our new anthology has been reviewed by The New York Times.  In fact, rather than appearing as one of over two dozen books in the Sunday book section, Dwight Garner's review of Toward 2012: Perspectives on the Next Age received a highly coveted spot in the Friday's "Arts" section.

As for the review itself, its approach is reflected in the tongue-in-cheek headline, "The End Is Near! Now the Good News: It Could Be Groovy." Garner treats the anthology with a mixture of appreciation, curiousity and contempt. It's a wonderfully befuddled critique. On the one hand, he is clearly drawn to the book, calling it "one-stop shopping for anyone interested in the vanguard of New Age thought." A sub-headline in the print version of the review describes Toward 2012 as "A New Age take on what ails the world and how to fix it." We'd kindly despute the term "New Age," but the rest is okay by us.

However, as Garner dips into the more mystical, transcendent, and consciousness-flavored pieces in the anthology, his dour skepticism seems to get the best of him. He refers to some of our favorite articles as "patchouli-scented and divinely inane; they’ll tempt you to set your yoga mat on fire and permanently avoid certain aisles at Whole Foods." Come on. Have you even tried to set fire to a yoga mat? They don't burn easily. 

The mixed review reminds us of Andy Warhol's advice about publicity: "I don't read my press. I weigh it." With the Times article now spiralling out across the web and appearing in papers like the International Herald Tribune and even The Jakarta Globe, our growing transformational community is racking up some serious media poundage in our effort to evolve consciousness bite by bite.

At the same time, Toward 2012 has given the RS crew ample opportunity to speak directly to large audiences at bookstores across the country, and through the media, as well.