The Day the Towers Fell

Grief, memory, and the world we lost

Four days ago, a group nobody had ever heard of knocked down the World Trade Center. Today we know who Al Qaeda is. We also know how a destroyed skyscraper smells: sharp and metallic, with hints of aerosolized toner cartridge, melted nylon carpet, burning hair, and other things you try hard not to identify. The stink is bad in Brooklyn. Here in Manhatta…