Battery Park Beach, May 15, 1977. Fred R Conrad, courtesy of The New York Times/Redux

Editor’s note: I’m re-releasing this post (originally published June 2024) in connection with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Minoru Yamasaki was the architect of the original World Trade Center towers, and Justin Beal’s book Sandfuture is the most thoughtful and engaging investigation into Yamasaki’s career, as well as a contemplation in what it means when your greatest work is tragically d...