Remembering 9/11: 20 years later
2021 marks 20 years since the events of 9/11. Orion honors the memory, actions, and sacrifice of everyone impacted by that historic day — events that continue to shape our lives many years later. Below, you’ll find the poignant work of authors, filmmakers, historians and others that commemorate that day.
WHAT TO READ
What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind by Jennifer Senior
Bobby McIlvaine, a graduate of Upper Dublin High School and Princeton University, lost his life 20 years ago in the September 11th attacks. His family’s search for meaning in the face of such grief is profiled in the September edition of The Atlantic. Bobby’s family sat down with ‘Good Morning America’ to discuss their lost loved one and how they continue to remember his legacy. Bobby was 26 years old at the time. He had just started a job at Merrill Lynch that July. Bobby was one of the 3,000 who were killed in the terrorist attacks when he headed to a conference in the North Tower.
Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the founder and CEO of the media site Muslim Girl, was nine years old and living in East Brunswick, New Jersey on September 11, 2001. Her memoir tells what it was like to grow up as a Muslim American child in a post-9/11 America rampant with the anti-Muslim sentiment. The New York Times’s reviewer wrote that Al-Khatahtbeh offers “an account that should both enlighten and shame Americans who read it.”
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Graff is a former editor of Politico who set out to compile the first comprehensive oral history of 9/11. Collaborating with oral historian Jenny Pachucki, Graff compiled 500 oral histories with victims’ families, survivors and their families, government officials, and a host of others who felt the impact of that day. The result, as NPR’s Scott Detrow described it, is “a powerful, graphic narrative of how Sept. 11 played out everywhere from the International Space Station to the inside of the collapsing World Trade Center towers.”
No Day Shall Erase You: The Story of 9/11 as Told at the National September 11 Memorial Museum edited by Alice M. Greenwald
If you cannot visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, read No Day Shall Erase You. It uses essays and photographs of museum exhibits to explore the events of 9/11. Publisher’s Weekly hailed it as “a tribute to those who died on 9/11, as well as a powerful exploration of collective memory.”
Towers Falling
Award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes tells a powerful story about young people who were not alive to witness this defining moment in history — but begin to realize how much it colors their every day.
In this novel, a fifth-grader sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. But just as she gets closer to answering big questions about who she is, what America means, and how communities can grow (and heal), she uncovers new questions, too. Like, why does Pop get so angry when she mentions anything about the towers?
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story
Ask anyone: September 11, 2001, was serene and lovely, a perfect day—until a plane struck the World Trade Center. From the critically acclaimed author of Anything But Typical comes a “tense…and thought-provoking” look at the days leading up to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and how that day impacted the lives of four middle schoolers.
Talking to Children about Terrorism
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum provides tips that give broad guidelines to help adults in these conversations with children.
WHAT TO WATCH
What Happened on September 11
Directed and produced by Amy Schatz, What Happened on September 11 is an HBO Family documentary introducing the events of 9/11 to a young audience.
Generation 9/11
PBS presents a look at the lives of young people who were not yet born when their fathers perished in the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City – including childhood milestones and how they learned of their parent’s death. Bill Gardner, who commissioned the film for PBS, says, “The world, not just America, was forever changed because of 9/11 and its aftermath, and we wanted to explore that ongoing, global impact in a very direct, personal way. The lives of these young people and their families have been shaped by 9/11 in a variety of intimate ways, and their openness to sharing their lives allows us to thoughtfully explore the nuances of the 20 eventful years since that unforgettable day.”
9/11: One Day in America
In this six-episode series, National Geographic examines the harrowing moments of the historic morning of Sept. 11, 2001, through personal accounts, videos, and photos of everyone from first responders and journalists to office workers and city dwellers.
NYC Epicenters 9/11-> 2021½
This is a four-part documentary essay produced and directed by acclaimed director Spike Lee. Debuting on HBO, NYC Epicenters is a rich tapestry of New York City in the 21st century, weaving together the stories, memories, and insights of those who were eyewitnesses to New York’s greatest challenges. Lee conducted over 200 interviews for the documentary series which features first-hand accounts from residents of all occupations, including first responders, politicians, and journalists alongside Lee and his own family and friends, complemented by a treasure trove of visual imagery. The quintessential New York filmmaker uses his unique sensibilities to craft a multi-faceted mosaic of the city as it deals with some of the most life-changing events of the last twenty years.
Chief: The Heroic Story of Bill Feehan
This heartbreaking film tells the story of the beloved FDNY Fire Chief who died at his command station on 9/11 when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. The son of a firefighter and the father of another, it was said that he knew the location of every fire hydrant in New York City. Feehan joined the FDNY in 1959 as a member of Ladder Company 3. When he was named acting commissioner in 1991, he became the first person to have held every position in the FDNY. William Feehan’s obituary page includes obituaries written for him in The New York Times and The Journal News. His name appears as William M. Feehan on Panel S-18 of the National September 11 Memorial‘s South Pool, along with those of other first responders.
WHAT TO LISTEN TO
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 (WNYC/History Channel)
Produced by New York Public Radio station WNYC in collaboration with the History Channel, this series draws on the History Channel’s documentary, Road to 9/11. The eight episodes weave together some five dozen interviews with government officials, academics, journalists, FBI agents, and even people with ties to the terrorists who carried out the attacks. The goal of the series is to show that 9/11 was the culmination of a series of events that began years earlier. Each episode in the series runs for 50 minutes.
Intelligence Matters Presents: Remembering 9/11 (CBS News)
In this special series of the Intelligence Matters podcast, host Michael Morell, former acting director of the CIA, interviews guests about where they were and what they witnessed on 9/11. Episodes air weekly. The episodes released feature interviews with two former George W. Bush administration officials, Andy Card, who was White House chief of staff on 9/11, and Stephen Hadley, who was deputy national security advisor. Each episode runs for about 36 minutes.
That Forever September Morning: Memories of 9/11
This podcast was produced by Glucksman Ireland House to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. The 38-minute audio piece includes excerpts from interviews conducted as part of the GIH Oral History Project linked with readings from Thomas Flynn’s poem, Bikeman, read by the author. The voices recall the wild emotion and strange stillness of that day and offer listeners a chance to reflect on the events of 9/11 and where we were ten years later.
WHAT TO DO
9/11 Memorial and Museum
The Museum is open five days a week with new health and safety measures in place and ongoing operational changes to ensure a safe museum experience. Museum capacity will be limited, and all visitors will be required to purchase tickets in advance for timed visits that allow for social distancing.
9/11 Reading of the Names
On Sept. 12, the names of all those who died of a 9/11-related illness will be read at a public ceremony at Ground Zero.
5K Run & Walk NYC
The event, held this year on Sept. 26, symbolizes Stephen Siller’s final footsteps from the foot of the Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers.
9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero via Free Tours by Foot
This free, guided tour traverses the National September 11th Memorial, also known as the 9/11 Memorial, World Trade Center Memorial, and the Twin Towers Memorial. Many consider coming at night to see the memorial light up after dark. In fact, the memorial is considered on of the top things to do at night in NYC. Some visitors indicate that seeing the memorial from 7–9pm can be a completely different experience.
Great Performances – Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Met presents Verdi’s Requiem, with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the extraordinary Met Orchestra and Chorus as well as a quartet of star soloists: soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and bass-baritone Eric Owens.
The concert marks the first performance inside the Metropolitan Opera House since the March 2020 closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Audiences in New York City and beyond will also be able to see and hear live transmissions of Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11. The performance will be transmitted live as part of Great Performances on PBS, and live audio from the performance will also be broadcast directly outside the Met in Lincoln Center Plaza. As part of a citywide remembrance, the Met will be participating in the 9/11 Tribute in Light, bathing its façade in sky-blue light. The English-language text of the Requiem will also be projected onto the façade of the opera house during the performance. Face masks and proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 are required for all audience members.
