In The Shadow of No Towers

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, we all found ways of coping with a tragedy the majority of us were, for the most part, detached from. For those dealing with the loss of family and friends, for those who witnessed the disasters, the conflict is much closer to home.

Art Spiegelman, author of the Maus series, witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center that morning. He and his wife rushed to find their daughter in a school near the buildings. In the Shadow of No Towers follows Spiegelman as he tries to unravel the events of that day and the days following when tragedy became the tool of a regime in need of propaganda.

The book, presented in a large newspaper format, appears as an attempt by the author to answer the many questions that arise from such an event. Few of these questions are directly answered. In fact, the impression arises that the answers will depend on who you are, and how you dealt with the events of that day.

One thing is certain, however: Spiegelman feels, as many of us do, that President Bush hijacked the events of September 11 for his own political agenda. How else could he, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, try and convince the United States, let alone the world, that Iraq had a hand in the attacks?

Spiegelman’s art may seem rough to a generation brought up on Marvel comics. But he conveys emotion better then any comic artist I’ve read. While his experience is surely not unique, he has managed to put it on paper in such a way that even those of us with no direct experience with the events of that day can, at the very least, empathize with his situation and understand his opinions.

Article Author: Roger Asbury

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