Names of the Dead: An Elegy for the Victims of September 11

by Diane Schoemperlin

"The enormous loss of life in the September 11 terror attacks tends to overwhelm the individual stories of the men, women, and children who left home that morning never to return. With this tribute, novelist Diane Schoemperlen both bestows individuality upon each of the victims and connects us all." In the tradition of elegies before it, Names of the Dead is a celebration of life. A tapestry that includes every single name and a narrative of events crafted with a novelist's observational eye, Names of the Dead tells the story of this day of loss, from its ordinary dawning to its harrowing conclusion. Interwoven with the names of the victims is an imaginative framework of fragments based on extensive research, capturing the textures of the victims' daily their hobbies, their homes, their families, their loves, and their hopes for the future.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published August 19, 2004

Reviews

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching tribute to those murdered on 9-11.

A brief glimpse into the lives of those gone before their time.

An unfathomable amount of research was spent on the writing of this book.

Highly recommended to all ... lest we forget.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a senior in high school on 9/11, so I've spent my entire adulthood in the aftermath of that day, and the memories I have are clear as can be. Schoemperlen ensures that the memories of those who perished also remain in the minds of those who live on. Rather than simply re-post obituaries and memorial articles, she compiles the information she can find on all 3,000+ people lost that day and creates somewhat of a narrative, woven among the names of the dead. The names are alphabetical, and each letter also contains a list of professions held by one or more of those who died and singular words fitting both the letter and the point in the narrative. Therefore, A is full of optimism as Monday night ends and people begin getting ready for work, but by the time S rolls around, 'Shiva' is a fitting word to include. Some names among the list have notes, such as the station number for firefighters, men whose unborn children would never know their daddies, and couples/relatives who both perished on that fateful day. Among the narrative are more lists, which reflect the desperate few days after the attacks when people described what their missing loved one was wearing, carrying, or bore on their body in terms of tattoos and scars, in the hope that they lay unidentified in a hospital somewhere. Pulled from the memorials were also things they loved, things they hated, and unique life events that put them at the Pentagon, World Trade Center, or on a hijacked plane that day. Schoemperlen generalizes and compiles all of this to weave it into the story, a bit disjointed if you will, but a way of making the 3000+ more than just a list of names without becoming redundant and boring such that readers still are interested by the time they get to Z.

[Reagan]

Because of the subject matter, I don’t feel comfortable giving this a star rating. My history teacher in high school, Mr. Willoughby, let me take some books from his shelves as I was graduating and he was retiring. 4 years ago now. I’ve had this book sitting either on a shelf or in the floor of my room for a long time. I tried to read it back then but never finished. Now I finally sat and did it. It’s moving and emotional, as one could assume. A tribute to the victims of the attack and the lives they led, wanted to lead, and left behind. Though not every single thing is absolutely true (as mentioned in the preface which gives more clarity), it is still interesting to take in these moments of normalcy and realize they didn’t know what was going to happen. None of us do.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but it would be a wonderful memorial for those who lost loved ones in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

[Angi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this, you won't regret it.