Friday Links
September 11, 2026
Old Glory at ground zero
On Being a 9/11 Kid
Remembering a Hero, 15 Years After 9/11
More than a Matter of Taste: A Conversation on the Moral Imagination
Eric Cyr: Live in Crosby, MN
On Being a 9/11 Kid
Some part of me was even jealous of those who had their own memory of the day, as if witnessing the day in all of its horror authenticated their grief in a way mine could never be. Although I am blessed not to have experienced the trauma of 9/11 in real time, it sometimes has been infuriating that, despite my efforts, I cannot form an in-depth emotional connection to the day. As much as I know that distance is probably for the best, it has still made me feel lucky, guilty, and, to be honest, even a bit angry.
Remembering a Hero, 15 Years After 9/11
As Welles went down the stairwell he saw what happened on the 78th floor sky lobby. People trying to escape had been waiting for elevators when the plane hit. It was carnage—fire, smoke, bodies everywhere. A woman named Ling Young, a worker for the state tax department, sat on the floor, badly burned and in shock. From out of the murk she heard a man’s voice: “I found the stairs. Follow me.”
More than a Matter of Taste: A Conversation on the Moral Imagination
Join Catholic Literary Arts for this virtual conversation between Katy Carl and Joshua Hren on Tuesday, September 15th, 8-9pm EDT.
Editor Katy Carl and author Joshua Hren discuss his book More than a Matter of Taste: The Moral Imagination and the Spirit of Literature.
What does it mean to be a reader of good taste? How can we inhabit the moral imagination in a way that avoids heavy-handed moralism? How can we grow in prudential judgment and spiritual discernment while delighting in the books we get lost in? And can looking at the world through the “million windows” of the “house of fiction” really elevate or transfigure the lives we lead?
On Sunday, September 13, Eric Cyr will be in Crosby, MN to read from his book of short stories, Here It Snows in June, sign books, and chat with whoever comes out. If you're in the Crosby area, you should definitely go.
