The events that occurred on September 11, 2001, changed the history of the United States forever. No longer are Americans fearless of other world powers, no matter how large or small, but now Americans are to some degree living in fear. Terrorist attacks can happen again today, tomorrow, a month from now or a year from now. There is no way to plan for the unexpected, even though cautionary levels are through the roof. The outcome of that fateful day changed American attitudes. The hatred felt toward the U.S. was overwhelming. I believe that if it would have been possible, there would not be a single American man, woman or child alive to tell the frightening tale. The history of the U.S. changed that day, and luckily, there is people left to tell about it and share stories and emotions.
Following Spetember 11, 2001, there has been numerous literary works that have popped up about the issue. One of these works is by William Heyen and is called September 11, 2001 American Writers Respond. This literary work is an anthology of 127 American writers that responded to the tragedy. The anthology is a collection of fiction writings, essays, and poetry and prose. What is amazing to me is that these writers were able to respond at all. Following the events, there was numbness throughout the U.S. Mass confusion and hysteria was going on. No one knew for sure who was involved, who was killed, or what the meaning behind the event was. It was as if, for Americans, the world had stopped moving for days at a time while they watched over and over again the planes crashing and the towers falling.
For months afterwards, news headlines and magazine covers were filled with pictures and stories of people's experiences and thoughts. This is what September 11, 2001 American Writers Respond is all about-experiences and thoughts. The stories and prose included in the anthology are by various writers throughout the U.S. and vary in length, depth, and character. This may be the only downfall of the anthology. If there was some uniformity to the pieces, I believe, the anthology would be much stronger. Nonetheless, the fact that the writers were able to capture their thoughts and emotions during this chaotic and emotionally charged time is all that matters, because these thoughts and emotions are exactly what everyone in the U.S. wanted, and in some ways needed.
Americans couldn't get enough of others thoughts and were also eager to share their own. Most of the pieces in the anthology explore the meaning behind the events, such as what does this say about humanity, what does this say about everyone's sense of well-being and why is the U.S. so hated. Some explore what should be done as a counterattack, and other simplier pieces, recollect what a particular writer was doing at the time of the incident. The reaction of the people to this tragedy is similar to when Kennedy was shot or when the U.S. first landed on the moon. Everyone talks about what they were doing. Curiosity is great but it is more than simple curiosity. A uniting of the nation came to pass, and the people want to feel as though they belong, as though they all shared a common experience and grew as a result of that experience. This also is what the anthology does for the reader.
One piece that particularly grabbed my attention was by Antler, and was taken from Skyscraper Apocalypse. The lines that made me grasp the events in a different light go as follows:

Have the winds blown enough
that by now all of us have breathed
particles of the burned-up corpese?
Sooner of later all of us will inhale
invisible remains of the incinerated victims...

I had never thought of the events in this light. Living in Wisconsin, and not knowing any victims, made me disengage myself from the tragedy in some ways. My life wasn't changed in a drastic manner so I didn't think about it constantly. However, when I read these lines, and I think that at this very moment I could be breathing someone's remains, makes me look and remember the tragedy in an altered way. This is also a major part of the anthology, looking at others perspectives and making them part of the larger picture. The people that lost their lives were live human beings, and even if I didn't know them, their death does make a difference in my life.
Overall the anthology was well put together. The writers all had something intellectual to contribute and did so in a meaningful manner. It is a mixture of works that makes the reader feel the tragedy all over again yet, at the end there is hope, even though nothing has been resolved at the time the anthology was published. The anthology's greater purpose, I believe, is to console and also to share thoughts and emotions, which at a time like this, as any psychologist would say, is very crucial.

September 11, 2001 American Writers Respond is a compilation of musings written within days of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, making this book a gem for its timeliness. The contributors express in poetry, essay, letter and other forms of composition the thoughts and feelings they had regarding the horror of that day of infamy. With over 120 writers included, the impressions encompass a spectrum of opinions and feelings. It is safe to say there is something for everyone in this book. The entries range from serious realism to fantastic prose, all relating to September 11, 2001. The writing is flawless and stimulating, both for its originality and for the variety of emotion the pieces create.
Now that almost two years have passed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, it is interesting to read the book and remember the misconceptions and rumors that were reported on the news or written in magazines and newspapers right after the attacks. No one knew at that time what the long-term effects would be on the nation. Writers predicted events that have not happened. Reading their forecasts now is amusing and sometimes sad. It recalls our naivety before the loss of innocence.
Above all, this book is a montage of American thought. Readers will find a voice that echoes their own. One will take note of new friends, but carefully walk around those who reflect an opinion too far from their own. It is a timely book, but a monster in the closet. One must choose wisely when to take it out, for it will make even the most callous reader remember, reflect, and react to that awful September 11th.

We all know where we were on September 11th, 2001. Some of us were headed to work, others to school, some were with families and some were alone. We all know the thoughts that struck our minds as those airplanes struck those towers. Many of us would like to express the pain and emotion that we felt but are unable to find the words. That is why this book comes in handy.

At about 435 pages, September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond is an anthology featuring 120 writers. Loaded with first hand impressions penned only months within the attack on America, the book is a balanced mix of political response, personal reflection and artistic vision of the day that changed the world forever.

The anthology is Editor, William Heyen's effort to reflect the opinions and experiences of the world's people. It is a balanced representation of ideas, but hardly covers a fraction of the opinions and questions of all affected by the attack. And although it will never answer "why?" What it will do is let us express, empathize and identify with one another, not only as writers, not only as Americans, but as human beings.

Having paid little regard to the literary careerist's rule of "publish early and publish often," Joy Williams tends to be underrated. Only four fiction titles stand in between her State of Grace, nominated for the 1974 National Book Award, and this new novel.

Williams is sometimes taken as an inheritor for Flannery O'Connor, who died in 1964. Both exhibit ferocious intellects that, for all their fascination, you wouldn't necessarily want as permanent next-door neighbours.

Corvus, Alice and Annabel are three motherless children pinned down in a harsh American desert landscape. The wraith of Annabel's mother pitilessly upbraids her father, all the while coyly inviting him into her "skeleton arms". Alice assists the still-living dead at the old folks' home, while Corvus tries her hand at arson.

As various characters explain helpfully, the human body is but a thief and a counterpart, while its annihilation is no failure, but merely "a night between two days ... the Radiant Coat". In The Quick and the Dead, death's personal business calls are inventive and grimly amusing.

Williams has lost none of her metaphysical skills but, structurally, her earlier novel Breaking and Entering is the more elegant.

I just finished reading this book last night. I talked so much about it at work that three of my co-workers are asking to borrow it. I don't want to build it up too much. There are a dozen story lines/characters and not all of them interested me (Ginger and Carter were focused on way too much). However, I was mesmerized by all the children, especially Emily Pickless, and many times couldn't put the book down. Joy Williams is an incredible writer and the Quick and the Dead is a beautiful book that holds up to the very satisfying end. Read it if you like dark comedy/art house films but stay away if you need everything explained to you at the end.

I don't know how I managed to overlook Joy Williams before. If her other books are even half as good as this (and I plan to find out right away), it will be a miracle. The Quick and the Dead could very well be the best novel I've read this year. The language constantly surprises, and she very deftly conjures a narrative out of the most elusive (and allusive) elements. Comic, profound, and remarkably thoughtful. Comparable in some ways to Lynda Barry's Cruddy (another great book), but utterly original. I can't gush enough.

Before my last trip to the Keys, I picked up two books: this one and the Insider's Guide to the Keys. The Insider's Guide was less opinionated and had more "tourist" information but it was harder to find what you were looking for.

This book is organized is such a manner that it's very simple to find out the history of each Key as you drive down the Overseas Highway from Florida City to Key West. You'll read about the attractions, the places to stay and the restaurants Key by Key. That's very helpful. There's no flipping from chapter to chapter just to find out about the attractions in one place, dining in another, water activities in yet another place and accomodations elsewhere.

I also liked the opinions that the author expressed. For example, her takes on the Conch Tour Train, the Little White House, Mallory Square and the Key West Aquarium were right in line with our experiences. We happily skipped some other attractions based on this book and we don't believe we missed out on a thing.

If anything, there are some interesting things we saw in the Keys that weren't touched upon in this guidebook. How could the author leave out Robbie's Marina where for $1 you can "SEE the Tarpon" and for an additional $2 you can "FEED the Tarpon"? This "attraction" was mentioned to me at least a dozen times by various people I talked to, including a stranger at the post office in Virginia!

I really enjoyed this guidebook and only wish that it was even more comprehensive.

My dog-eared and heavily underlined copy of the 8th edition attests to the fact that over the course of many visits, Ms. Williams has been a reliable and marvelously opinionated guide to this quirky corner of America. This is not a conventional tourist's handbook of the type that merely rates this hotel or that restaurant with so many stars, although Williams' advice on these matters is invariably sound. It is, rather, what its title indicates: a history and guide. If you want to understand what the region is really all about, the rich cache of lore in this book will enrich your trip immensely. Key West and the other islands aren't "paradise," although they may look like it at first glance. They're more interesting than that. Their story is by turns uproarious, bizarre, sad, and disorderly. Like other Caribbean islands, the Keys (in particular the town of Key West) have experienced a historical Wild Mouse ride of booms and busts. It's a story well worth reading, and Joy Williams -- also a distinguished author of fiction -- is uniquely qualified to tell it. She also writes with special feeling and expertise about the Keys' unique ecology. As you drive down US 1 to Key West, counting down those mile markers as you go, keep this book within easy reach. It is an informative practical guide as well as a first-rate work of travel literature.

This book is a well written book first, funny, insightful and at times critical, and then its a guide book. If you only take one book to the Keys take this! You'll learn more about this fascinating part of the world than you could imagine, history, geography, flaura and fauna - but most of all people - from the lawyer, counsellor B who jumped off the tower of the Holiday Inn in Key West, and henceforth remembered as No Bungee B to the many writers who have lived there: Hemingway, tennessee Williams, etc. Its my all time favourite:- and I live in England!!

I really liked the mix of a story of a young man's first adventure away from country and family, and the technical information needed to cultivate the opium poppy. It gave me a sense of tranquility to his endeavor, not as if it were a clandestine operation. It spoke of the roots his and other families had in this way of life. Of course, it gives you all the information you need for your own adventure. I hope there is a sequel.

A lovely tale of a young Chinese immigrant in South America offeres some insight to the "way of a Chinese Grower" and what the culture is like... The second half of the book goes into considerable detail as to how to cultivate the poppy, albeit on a quasi large-scale endeavor- not really for the ornamental grower. Excellent depth into pharmacologic properties, particularly chemical structure of medicinal components and traditional harvesting methods and tools.

I have read Mr. Aiken's book 'Compelling Joy: A Poetic Journey Through Life' several times and each time I discovered something new that I missed the last time I read the book. This book is a must for any poetry lover. Mr. Aiken shares his experiences and appreciation of life with the reader in a unique way. Once again, I highly recommend this book.

Looking forward to other books by the author.

Compelling Joy is a wonderful collection of poems that cause the reader to take pause and reflect on the author's message. As I read the poems I experienced a range of emotions. There was joy and laughter as I read "Scrumptious Black Woman" and peacefulness as I read the words in "Celestial Love". I felt compassion when I read "Lonliness" and "What about Love". What Mr. Aiken has done through his words is allow us to take a glimpse into his soul. It is clear to me that his poems are a reflection of his inner spirit and the people and things that he values in life. When I read these poems I get the sense that Mr. Aiken is a deeply spirtual man who has the greatest love for God, family, friends and wo(man)kind. He seems to celebrate life and place value not on material possessions and personal accomplishments, but rather on the simplest pleasures that life has to offer. I believe Mr. Aiken's work offers us a chance to step back from these turbulent times that we find ouselves in and experience, if just for a few hours, a poetic journey through life.

Compelling Joy is definitely "A Poetic Journey Through Life." William Aiken Sr. ("Aiken") presents to his audience a well rounded collection of inspiring and articulate "words of wisdom" that you can hang your hat on as you journey through life on earth. He speaks with a realistic glimpse to my soul on page 89 in "Patrician." Patrician defines itself as a person of high birth; an aristocrat; and a person from a class of unique cultivation. Here, Aiken not only gives a gingerly credence to establish the acumen of the person, but allows the reader to form his own impression of the man. On a case-by-case basis, Aiken allows the reader to dream, wonder and use a little "sanctified imagination" to eloquently feel, touch, taste, smell and see the individual probably as an angel or even as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But quickly and easily, Aiken brings your thoughts into fruition that the individual's person is "always clothed in immaculate attire." In contrast, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not dress in that manner because they are in spirit and in truth. But in contrary, fruits of the spirit are centered around joy, peace, and love that the individual represents. Mr. Aiken's poems are filled with compassion, understanding, and celebrate various episodes of our human experiences. Compelling Joy is written well and speaks to various groups of people within our society today. In my opinion, the book deserves 5 plus (5+) stars!

Joy Leslie Gibson's handsome book is a strange mixture of useful fact and wishful guess work. Her early chapters are terrific - she summarises in an accesable and interesting way the work of early scholars and extends it by examining the sumptuary laws and dress standards of Elizabethan England.

I feel she is on less steady earth when applying her assertion that the breathing patterns of Shakespeare's major speeches for women were written with boy actors in mind. As a foundation she asks the reader to accept that all punctuation in the plays is unrepresentative of the authors intentions - including the 1623 First Folio (ignoring the fact that the two editors were actors who had worked with the author since 1593!) and then arbitairily replaces it with an assumption that the thought patterns of the speeches can be understood without them and breath points established. Essentially she removes one set of punctuation that does not fit her thesis and replaces it with one that does - of her own making.
She also makes some doubtful assertions about the women's roles always being shorter than their male counterparts, ignoring roles of such depth, range AND length as Juliet and Rosalind.
Some great material let down by some questionable use of information.