Comments on: Question of the Week: 9-11 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/ where writers come to play Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:43:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-170 Susan Henderson Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:21:32 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-170 I'm sorry, Joe. You're a beautiful writer. I’m sorry, Joe.

You’re a beautiful writer.

]]> By: Joe http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-165 Joe Thu, 14 Sep 2006 10:04:35 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-165 My community was deeply affected by the events of September 11th. Twenty-eight people from my town died that day. I live in a small town. Five years later and I'm still trying to sort out my feelings. I was in the plaza by the fountain on my way to work when the first plane hit. My perspective is from inside the story. Many of my friends and people I worked with died in the World Trade Center. It's just sheer luck that I have the luxury of writing about it rather than have someone else write about me. It's never far from my thoughts. I have no profound insights, no abstract thoughts on the symbolic significance of the towers falling, no geo-political musings on the antecedents to the attacks. It's all noise. When you watch your dozenth flag draped coffin being lowered into the earth, when you go through a season of funerals, writing about it seems pale. Sometimes I think that my perspective is skewed. You know, 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear'? And if I could only detach myself for a moment and fly above it I might be able to find my way out. I could see the lay of the land spread out below me like a map. But I always come back to the sights and sounds and the taste of grit in my mouth. My community was deeply affected by the events of September 11th. Twenty-eight people from my town died that day. I live in a small town.

Five years later and I’m still trying to sort out my feelings. I was in the plaza by the fountain on my way to work when the first plane hit. My perspective is from inside the story. Many of my friends and people I worked with died in the World Trade Center. It’s just sheer luck that I have the luxury of writing about it rather than have someone else write about me. It’s never far from my thoughts.

I have no profound insights, no abstract thoughts on the symbolic significance of the towers falling, no geo-political musings on the antecedents to the attacks. It’s all noise. When you watch your dozenth flag draped coffin being lowered into the earth, when you go through a season of funerals, writing about it seems pale.

Sometimes I think that my perspective is skewed. You know, ‘objects in mirror are closer than they appear’? And if I could only detach myself for a moment and fly above it I might be able to find my way out. I could see the lay of the land spread out below me like a map. But I always come back to the sights and sounds and the taste of grit in my mouth.

]]> By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-145 Susan Henderson Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:31:48 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-145 Carolyn and Lisa - Beautiful and inspiring words. Thank you. Carolyn and Lisa - Beautiful and inspiring words. Thank you.

]]> By: Lisa http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-141 Lisa Tue, 12 Sep 2006 05:04:47 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-141 Interesting because until today, until writing about it and sharing stories with my students of that day, I don't think I realized how much experiencing 9/11 and the months after in New York City has shaped the direction of my life. For a few moments I knew what true fear and true uncertainty is. A fear and uncertainty much of the world experiences each day. This was followed by a demonstration of hatred and revenge unlike any I have seen. For me, a choice was present, a choice to succumb to this fear, uncertainty, to join in my own war of hatred and revenge, or to find a way to live with this new knowledge that fear and uncertainty were always there and always will be. Interesting because until today, until writing about it and sharing stories with my students of that day, I don’t think I realized how much experiencing 9/11 and the months after in New York City has shaped the direction of my life.

For a few moments I knew what true fear and true uncertainty is. A fear and uncertainty much of the world experiences each day. This was followed by a demonstration of hatred and revenge unlike any I have seen.

For me, a choice was present, a choice to succumb to this fear, uncertainty, to join in my own war of hatred and revenge, or to find a way to live with this new knowledge that fear and uncertainty were always there and always will be.

]]> By: Carolyn Burns Bass http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-140 Carolyn Burns Bass Tue, 12 Sep 2006 04:22:25 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-140 Pia, I spent a week in New Orleans this summer and couldn't stop writing about it. Your lingering grief is vivid. You cannot get your arms around the ruined city alone, but when joining hands with others who care, you'll encircle the city with hope and help. Hearing about the controversies surrounding the raising of the NYC 9/11 memorial sickens me. I visited the Pennsylvania site of United 93 the summer after 9/11 and was stunned by the solemnity of the wide grassy field with its spontaneous displays of loss and love. I toured the A-bomb memorial at Hiroshima twenty years ago and the grip on my heart has never loosened. I think every citizen of the world should visit the aptly named Peace Park in Hiroshima, the Pearl Harbor memorial, The Holocaust Museum, and someday also the memorial to 9/11. Pia, I spent a week in New Orleans this summer and couldn’t stop writing about it. Your lingering grief is vivid. You cannot get your arms around the ruined city alone, but when joining hands with others who care, you’ll encircle the city with hope and help.

Hearing about the controversies surrounding the raising of the NYC 9/11 memorial sickens me. I visited the Pennsylvania site of United 93 the summer after 9/11 and was stunned by the solemnity of the wide grassy field with its spontaneous displays of loss and love. I toured the A-bomb memorial at Hiroshima twenty years ago and the grip on my heart has never loosened. I think every citizen of the world should visit the aptly named Peace Park in Hiroshima, the Pearl Harbor memorial, The Holocaust Museum, and someday also the memorial to 9/11.

]]> By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-137 Susan Henderson Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:56:14 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-137 Pia - Love you, pz. Peter - That's exactly why I run my blog every *other* day and try to keep it short - because I know all of you guys have good writing to do. I hope my blog inspires creativity rather than sapping energy and time. I'm sorry about your dad. girlgrey - Sigh. That's discouraging how little kids in this country think about the world. Tomorrow I'm at the polls all day for the Primary, and I'm afraid the people who vote often know just as little. Patry - You have made the best of the worst. I admire you. Mikel - Good to see you here! Your poem's awesome, just awesome. Pia - Love you, pz.

Peter - That’s exactly why I run my blog every *other* day and try to keep it short - because I know all of you guys have good writing to do. I hope my blog inspires creativity rather than sapping energy and time. I’m sorry about your dad.

girlgrey - Sigh. That’s discouraging how little kids in this country think about the world. Tomorrow I’m at the polls all day for the Primary, and I’m afraid the people who vote often know just as little.

Patry - You have made the best of the worst. I admire you.

Mikel - Good to see you here! Your poem’s awesome, just awesome.

]]> By: mikel k http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-136 mikel k Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:33:37 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-136 9 11 2006 by mikel k they dropped the towers, who dropped the towers? someone wanting to be a super power? who died in the towers? just regular folk like you and me, that's who always gets screwed, regular folk like you and me. who dropped the towers who dropped the towers who got screwed in the towers? freedom was a whore by mikel k freedom was a whore i abused her i misused her i confused her with something else i neglected her i bet that she would be there for me for forever. freedom just walked away. 9 11 2006
by mikel k

they dropped
the towers,

who dropped
the towers?

someone wanting
to be a super power?

who died in the towers?
just regular folk
like you and me,

that’s who always
gets screwed,

regular folk
like you and me.

who dropped the towers
who dropped the towers
who got screwed
in the towers?

freedom was a whore
by mikel k

freedom was a whore

i abused her
i misused her
i confused her
with something
else
i neglected her
i bet that she would
be there
for me for forever.

freedom just walked
away.

]]> By: Patry http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-135 Patry Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:33:15 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-135 Buildings are less solid places now, the streets, too. Our world seems much less permanent. Because of that, I give away more, plan less, love with more abandon. Love your questions, Susan! Buildings are less solid places now, the streets, too. Our world seems much less permanent. Because of that, I give away more, plan less, love with more abandon.

Love your questions, Susan!

]]> By: girlgrey http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-134 girlgrey Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:27:05 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-134 all day at school today, i asked my 6th graders what they remembered about 9.11.01 and whether or not they think the government handled the situation well. most of them remembered a few things about the day. several of them thought the government did a good job "because airport security is better now." more than half of them thought that we had captured the man responsible for 9/11 (saddam). i felt it was my duty to inform them, without voicing my opinion on anything, that osama bin laden was the actual perpetrator of these murders of thousands of sacrificial lives. a handful of students even claimed to have never heard of 9/11. i believe, sadly, that 9/11 has impacted my community in this way: our children are less informed about reality and less likely to question authority regardless of the rules imposed, due to the fear mongering and talking heads repeating catch phrases in the guise of news. i also think we have become so accustomed to eating the "information" that we are spoon fed, that we do not even question our sources or doubt the veracity of anyone deemed wonderful enough to be on television. it has impacted my community by creating a society closer to the sci-fi settings we discuss when we cover fiction than to the supposed american ideal of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. so that now everyone in my homeroom says the pledge of alligiance, but nobody really knows what it means. all day at school today, i asked my 6th graders what they remembered about 9.11.01 and whether or not they think the government handled the situation well. most of them remembered a few things about the day. several of them thought the government did a good job “because airport security is better now.” more than half of them thought that we had captured the man responsible for 9/11 (saddam). i felt it was my duty to inform them, without voicing my opinion on anything, that osama bin laden was the actual perpetrator of these murders of thousands of sacrificial lives.
a handful of students even claimed to have never heard of 9/11.
i believe, sadly, that 9/11 has impacted my community in this way: our children are less informed about reality and less likely to question authority regardless of the rules imposed, due to the fear mongering and talking heads repeating catch phrases in the guise of news. i also think we have become so accustomed to eating the “information” that we are spoon fed, that we do not even question our sources or doubt the veracity of anyone deemed wonderful enough to be on television. it has impacted my community by creating a society closer to the sci-fi settings we discuss when we cover fiction than to the supposed american ideal of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
so that now everyone in my homeroom says the pledge of alligiance, but nobody really knows what it means.

]]> By: PD Smith http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-132 PD Smith Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:07:31 +0000 http://litpark.com/2006/09/11/question-of-the-week-9-11/#comment-132 Hi Susan It's due out in spring next year, but that's in the UK. My agent is about to start submitting the edited manuscript to US publishers... so keep your fingers crossed for me (I'll be too busy biting my nails to keep mine crossed!). I'm so glad you liked the review. My own dad died earlier this year so it was a hard one to write. It's a very good book. LitPark is great, by the way. It's so good that it is in danger of keeping me from my writing... Hi Susan
It’s due out in spring next year, but that’s in the UK. My agent is about to start submitting the edited manuscript to US publishers… so keep your fingers crossed for me (I’ll be too busy biting my nails to keep mine crossed!).

I’m so glad you liked the review. My own dad died earlier this year so it was a hard one to write. It’s a very good book.

LitPark is great, by the way. It’s so good that it is in danger of keeping me from my writing…

]]>