slate magazine marked the 5th anniversary of 9/11 by asking some very thoughtful individuals what work of art or literature has helped them make sense of the attacks and the world since.
check out the slate article herehere is my answer to that question:
"yankee hotel foxtrot" by wilco
this record was penned and recorded before the tragedy, but there is an eerie prophetic poignancy which runs through the record. even the cover eludes to the twin towers, and the heartbreaking song "ashes of american flags" proved to be a jeremiah-like lamentation on the newfound world in which the record was released. tweedy sang, "all my lies are always wishes / i know i would die if i could come back new." on tweedy's "jesus, etc." he sings "tall buildings shake / voices escape singing sad sad songs." the whole record is not as somber, but it was and continues to be a soundtrack to my feelings regarding that terrible day.
"culture jam: how to reverse america's suicidal consumer binge - and why we must" by kalle lasn
when i first read this book in 2000, it hit me like a blackjack. it was one of the first times that a book caused me to tremble. as i was driving to lawrence, kansas on september 11, 2001, listening to the radio reports of what was happening in new york and washington d.c., i couldn't help but think about "culture jam." in 1999, klasn wrote, "the earth can no longer support the lifestyle of the coolhunting american-style consumer. we have sought, bought, spewed and devoured too much, too fast, too brazenly, and now we're about to pay."
