Yesterday afternoon, I went down to the Here Is New York gallery — where hundreds and hundreds of photos of Sept. 11 are displayed on the walls and now there are so many they even hang from the ceiling. You’ve probably seen the story on TV: These volunteers are collecting photos from any photographers and then selling them for $25 each with net proceeds going to a WTC fund of the Children’s Aid Society. I bought five. No, I don’t intend to hang them in my living room; I intend just to hang onto them to remember. I don’t know why, but I find myself staring at photos like these. Even though I was there, I don’t think I’ve yet calculated the enormity of this; maybe that’s why I need to stare. These photos do not have the newsy urgency and bluntness of the amazing collection of photojournalism at Digital Journalist. These are mostly photos taking by the photographers who happened to be there. If you’re in New York, I recommend going to the gallery at 116 Prince St. (11a-6p); they’re open until Nov. 4 and they’re looking for donations to help build a web site to bring the photos online. Volunteers?
– Life changing in every American city: Christian Science Monitor.
– Arrrgh: “Post Office chief suggests wash hands after opening letters…”
– Maureen Dowd: “The federal government is starting to remind me of the Amity town council in ‘Jaws.’ Afraid panic will spread and business will suffer, they keep telling us to go back into the ocean before they’ve figured out how to fight the shark. And people keep dying.”
– American Muslims meet; set up Muslim defense fund. Maybe they should think about excommunicating a few of their own.
