The very mention of Sept. 11, 2001 brings up unsettling memories, multitudes of questions, terrifying images immortalized by the media, and a range of emotions that have not thoroughly embraced the extent of feelings experienced on that tragic day. On Sept. 10, 2001, fear was not universally on our list of expected daily responses in American culture. Who would have thought a digital clock blinking 9:11 twice a day, or skyscraper portraits of twin towers (and now their conspicuous absence), would affix our gaze? The date itself can be imagined as a line drawn in the sand dividing recent history, images and numbers on a clock into pre- and post-9/11.Sept112001.org is the first magazine committed to the history and facts about 9/11, conceived as an online locus to explore our collective memory, the objective data, and all forms of their expression.
A Perpetual Magazine
Sept112001.org, designed as a perpetual magazine, will continually post historical developments, scholarship, creative works, reader testimonies and feedback , all enhanced by multimedia capabilities and CyberBook+ Software developed by the Arts Science Research Laboratory.
Perpetuation of Knowledge
Sept 11 2001 History Magazine will report the latest news, research, feature articles and interviews related to September 11, 2001 across a variety of fields. Audio, video, and multimedia functions enable information to be studied in various contexts, leading to a fuller experience than a traditional print journal can provide. Readers can examine issues related to 9/11 through interdisciplinary viewpoints within the sciences and humanities. We intend that through our encouragement to submit ideas for the publication, a more comprehensive understanding and public engagement will emerge from a large variety of perspectives.
1.Oral Histories
Sept112001.org includes ever-increasing volumes of oral histories from rescue workers, families of victims, construction workers, survivors, civilian volunteers, eyewitnesses, and government officials.
Oral histories uniquely provide firsthand accounts of information as relayed by what historians refer to as “primary sources.” Without interpretation or editing, oral histories preserve intent, character, and full context. For 9/11, they will supply us with a personal understanding of how an individual was affected by this event.
We will help the interviewees who share their oral histories verify facts and support their assertions with documentation.
2.Research
The research featured on our website pages will facilitate general-interest readers and simultaneously serve as a starting point for new scholarship. From school assignments to detailed studies, we promote the focus for use of our magazine to encompass “popular reading” and academic purposes. Researchers, students, and everyday citizens are actively encouraged to submit their findings for publication in our online magazine.
Oral histories uniquely provide firsthand accounts of information as relayed by what historians refer to as “primary sources.” Without interpretation or editing, oral histories preserve intent, character, and full context. For 9/11, they will supply us with a personal understanding of how an individual was affected by this event.
We will help the interviewees who share their oral histories verify facts and support their assertions with documentation.
Perpetuation of News and Dialogue
Unlike print magazines or journals, the Internet facilitates immediate interaction among a global audience, 24/7. We welcome comments, questions, suggestions, corrections and other feedback. This continuing dialogue allows for our online magazine to stay current and adaptable for the benefit of many users. In debating issues, readers will be able to recognize perspectives they may have overlooked. This allows reevaluation of their position and committing to it more firmly, or developing an entirely new stance.
The online forums featured on our Bulletin Board will encourage ongoing dialogue on an assortment of September 11-related issues. We welcome readers to share their opinions. By bringing together diverse perspectives and opinions, readers are able to participate within the full spectrum of reactions to that unforgettable day. We also hope that a sense of community emerges among readers, leading to the bulletin board and other comments following each article, resulting, as it branches off into its own emergent course, in discussion rooms, support groups, and mentoring areas.
Perpetuation of Ideas
Literature and art afford some people ways to express their personal internal processing of the events surrounding September 11, 2001. Through art, certain nuances, verbal and non-verbal are captured–human details that cannot be conveyed suitably by other means. This magazine, open to amateurs and professionals alike, offers a venue for publication of performing and visual arts.
Through the arts, additional insight into the impact of September 11, 2001 can be presented to readers. The Arts Section will feature an outlet for drawings, sculpture, video, essays, novellas, poetry, plays, photography, music, dance, and other works, as well as reviews about them. Our aim is to inspire readers, through these works, to continue to create. The support offered by this magazine includes opportunities to showcase the works of professional artists of all mediums, through, for example, video and audio performances for our cyberAuditorium, or a display at cyberExhibition.
Goals
We, at Sept 11 2001 History Magazine, hope to make our on-line magazine your first destination for accessing news and information about the events and humanity regarding September 11, 2001. By combining news, scholarship and art, we aim to provide an asset of interest to all, from people with a general interest in history; to those directly affected by that terrible day; to children writing school reports; to scholars seeking data for advanced research.
Only with your input and contributions can our free, multimedia magazine achieve the goal of becoming the foremost and most accessible resource on September 11, 2001 History. Please contact us; we look forward to hearing from you.
Sept 11, 2001 History Magazine Staff
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Submissions Editor :
Rhonda Roland Shearer
Editorial Committee, Chairitorial Committee, Chair :
Ronald R. Spadafora
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Managing Editor :
Eli Varenberg
Executive Editor :
Yaling Chen
Publisher and Creative Director :
Rhonda Roland Shearer