September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond [Paperback]

William Heyen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

This book, which is unlike any other in our literature, was written during the three months following September 11, 2001. The editor wanted to catch the first, passionate reactions of many of our finest creative writers to a matrix of grievous events that would continue to intensify in the American memory as have few others. In September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond, more than 125 fiction writers, poets, and essayists are seized in ways that often surprise themselves; together they offer a revelation of our collective psyche during a perilous time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After September 11, poet William Heyen asked his fellow writers for contributions to an anthology that would articulate how the events of that morning "had awakened us and shaken our senses of identity and security." The result, September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond, is part reflection, part analysis, part tribute; its selections range from immediate reactions David Zane Mairowitz's letter in which he admits he thought "thank goodness... it's not the Chrysler building" to considered responses Lucille Clifton's poem that acknowledges "God has blessed America/ to learn that no one is exempt." Other contributors include Joy Harjo, Joanna Scott, John Updike and Denis Johnson.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Eloquent responses to the calamitous events of last year are presented in the anthology titled simply September 11. This powerful book gathers essays, short stories, and poems from 127 writers, including such luminaries as Robert Pinsky, Tess Gallagher, and Maxine Hong Kingston. Plenty of lesser-knowns appear beside the big names, and their contributions are no less effective in creating a deeply emotional tapestry of individualized reactions to events. There is poignancy in these pieces, and anger, too, and every submission testifies to the attractiveness of good, strong writing, regardless of tone or topic. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Etruscan Press; 1ST edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971822808
• ISBN-13: 978-0971822801
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,085,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight and Consolation, July 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond (Paperback)

although i'm sure this anthology will be used in classrooms across the country, i love it because it puts poetry back in the hands of emotional people. from well-respected writers such as John Updike, W.S. Mervin, AI, Wendell Berry, and dozens more to writers for whom this marks their first publication, these essayists, poets, and writers of hybrid forms of letters and fiction talk about September 11th in personal terms that, because they are so candidly offered, provide insight and consolation for all of us, anyone whose tv flickered for days while the towers fell, fell, fell. some of the writers were there, some knew someone who was, but they all react as if they felt that collapse in their teeth.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Writers Respond- A Place to Turn, April 30, 2003

By 

Amy Coonen (Sheboygan, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond (Paperback)

September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond is a carefully put together anthology dealing with the attacks on the World Trade Center. This compilation contains pieces written by over 100 different authors and its diverse contents allow it to appeal to a variety of people.
Stylistically it is difficult to describe September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond because the genre is so widespread. The anthology includes poems, essays, short stories, fictional stories, non-fictional stories, letters, and poems-the list could continue. Each author has their own style yet the pieces have a way of fitting together and creating an amazing collection of artist's reactions to the events on September 11th. Authors like Daniela Gioseffi makes the reader laugh because she writes about an entertaining (and touching) conversation she has with a nine year old girl while authors like Fred Moramarco makes the reader cry because the contents of his poem include the final conversations of September 11th victim's lives. The different authors attempt to affect the reader in different ways creating an extremely effective anthology.
The pieces in the compilation of writings are arranged in alphabetical order by the author's last name. This unoriginal organization is actually a very effective technique used by the editor, William Heyen, because it leaves the reader in anticipation of what is left to come. Heyen could have organized the anthology by grouping similar pieces together but this option is undoubtedly inferior to his choice of arrangement. Because every author has a different point of view and style, the reader has no idea what to expect when they begin the next piece in the anthology. The reader may find two poems similar in content back to back, or an essay followed by a memoir with contents differing from one extreme to the next. The anticipation that builds within the reader regarding the content of the upcoming pieces makes September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond a book that people do not want to set down.
It is impossible to read September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond without questioning your own view on the attacks. The anthology represents an abundance of different points of view. From Muslims to Christians, Middle Eastern people to American people, presidential supporters to presidential protestors; every view is represented. One of the most amazing things about this collection of writings is the wide range of feelings it produces. There are pieces like "the window, at the moment of flame", by Alicia Ostriker, that produce feelings of anger and disbelief in many readers because it blames the Americans for the tragedy. There are also pieces like Richard Wilbur's "Letter" that produce nationalistic feelings and recreate a true sense of love and pride for America. A person's opinion of the nation and the attacks prior to reading September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond will definitely be challenged because of this book. Pieces such as "America United", by Ishmael Reed, force even the strongest supporter of the government to reevaluate the strength of our leaders and, consequently, take a second look at their own view on the matter. Initially some of the pieces included in the anthology may produce feelings of rage because the point of view of the reader and the author differ greatly. One of the things that make this anthology as effective as it is, however, is that the differing opinions (regardless of who the reader is) will be retaliated by another piece somewhere in the book. The anthology contains such a large variety of pieces that it is impossible for a person to not be able to identify and agree with at least one of the pieces.
It is inevitable that the attacks on September 11th had an affect on every American, but what is not as certain is the effects that it had on people other than Americans. September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond helps prove that the attacks were not simply an American tragedy, but rather a world tragedy. The anthology contains non-fictional stories such as "Sisters", by Karen Blomain, in which two American sisters are spending an ordinary day shopping in a flea market when the attacks occur. In this story the tragedy brings the American sisters together to mourn with Russians, Koreans, Latinos, and Indians. Many of the authors that are included in the anthology come from different cultures. The ability of this one book to cross cultures and force any reader to see the impact the tragedy had on people other than Americans is simply amazing. After reading this book it is impossible for a person to see the attacks as affecting only Americans, but instead the book forces readers to have feelings of empathy and respect for other cultures.
September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond is one of the most moving and motivational anthologies of today. Although the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred almost two years ago, it is still hard for people to cope with the tragedy. Books like this one help people (both Americans and non-Americans) deal with the truths of the attacks and come to the realization that they are not alone in whatever they are feeling. The amazing thing about September 11, 2001: American Writer's Respond is that it has the capabilities of touching every single person's life because of its diverse content. In a time period as dangerous emotional as this, people need to find a place to turn when they feel that there is nowhere left to go. Thankfully this book can be that place for anyone.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great, September 22, 2002

By 

mike merafta (Detriot) - See all my reviews

This review is from: September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond (Paperback)

I seldomn read. In fact, this is the first book I've picked up in about a year and it is excellent. I'm just a construction worker, but this book really means a lot to me. I don't get everythingin it, but it has helped me to understand these tragedies.
Everyone who thinks about 911 with any frequency should buy this and it will heal you a bit.I'm goign to read it with my daughters so we can heal and understand as a family.