Because We Are Americans: What We Discovered on September 11, 2001

by Jesse Kornbluth

The tragic events of September 11 will never be forgotten, not only for the horror they wrought, but for the acts of bravery, generosity, and extraordinary courage. Cynicism was replaced by compassion and strangers reached out to one another for comfort and support. This touching tribute to those who lost their lives includes poems, prayers, children's drawings, and heartfelt exchanges drawn from the material posted on America Online, where millions of people gathered during the first week for support and information and to express grief and love. Inspiring and uplifting, Because We Are Americans serves as a portrait of this country at its best and a powerful reminder of all that is good in America. All proceeds will go to the relief funds set up to help families of victims of the attacks. Will also include quotes from President George W. Bush and New York City mayor Rudolph Guiliani.

Genres: History

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

Jesse Kornbluth was an American magazine writer and author. His book Notes from the New Underground is an anthology of articles he compiled from counterculture newspapers. He also wrote Airborne, a biography of Michael Jordan, and Highly Confident: The Crime and Punishment of Michael Milkin. His articles appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and many other magazines. He was a graduate of Harvard University.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I discovered this paperback 20+ years after the events of September 11, 2001. It is a compilation of messages posted to AOL Message Boards (remember those?) on 9/11 and the weeks following. The books was published by Warner Media, which at the time was controlled by AOL, so it only contains a curated selection of AOL posts, not other reporting or journalism. It's a weird book, at least 20 years later. I suppose at the time it served as good patriotic ummmm propaganda for lack of a better term. I was hoping it would give a better snapshot of the day and those painful weeks after that day, a time and feeling that will hopefully never be repeated, but in the end it feels a bit superficial and shallow, as I suppose AOL message boards generally were. Every 10 or so entries has a meaningful or moving nugget, but it isn't consistent enough for me to recommend it.