OPINION: Falling Man, 15 years later, and still inspiring me to remember 9/11 from a different perspective

‘In the picture he departs from this earth like an arrow.’ – opening line of The Falling Man by Tom Junod, Esquire magazine, 2003.

Let me start this column by saying my life changed forever on the second year anniversary of 9/11. Today I am a 40-year old newspaper reporter and I have just one idol on this planet. Two-time National Magazine Award winner Tom Junod, currently writing excellent pieces for ESPN the magazine and for their website, is that idol. Despite having read Esquire magazine for what feels like 30 years I had not solidified my relationship with Junod’s work -I am blessed to call him a friend today- until 15 years ago this month when my issue of Esquire came to the mailbox at what was then my apartment at 68 St. John’s Place in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, New York. The cover teased Junod’s story on the upper left corner in six simple words. The cover subject, with all due respect, was Colin Farrell, not exactly someone I was interested in learning more about. A quick look through Farrell’s extensive IMDB reveals that he may have been on the cover because of any of the five films he was in during the year, including ‘The Recruit’ and ‘S.W.A.T.’ Good movies, but either way I wasn’t interested. All I can remember was flipping through the issue and stopping on the image of the “Falling Man” and immediately reading the story by this Junod guy. My life would never be the same. “I’m grateful to have had the chance to have written that story,’ said Junod. “I’m very lucky to have had the chance. The Falling Man as a story existed at a time that it could exist. It is an interesting thought experiment of how 9/11 would register now. The piece would have been entirely different.”

The lack of social media at the time, at least at the manic, overwhelming levels we have it in our lives today, leaves The Falling Man gives the story a feel of a classic tale of tragedy and loss that leaves it easy to read a decade and a half after its original publishing date.

On a Thursday morning a few weeks before the anniversary of the worst domestic tragedy in the country’s history I called Junod (We had an appointment set, I would never cold call him. Well maybe) and we talked about the 15th anniversary of the story written two years after the towers fell and our lives changed forever.

Junod, who was walking his dog, is humble but he’s no fool. He knows that the story, only 15 years old but almost as dissected by media wonks, applauded by academics and read and re-read by magazine-junkies as any other before it or since is something special. “It’s something, it has been an interesting thing, most people assume the Mr. Rogers profile is the biggest story that I have ever done but to me the most consequential story I have written is The Falling Man,” said Junod who is working on a 9/11 essay for his current employer and who’s profile of Fred Rogers is the basis of the 2018 documentary ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’.

I idolized the piece and immediately printed a copy that I have till this day and through two marriages, the most recent I am currently in happily, kids, good and not-so good newspaper jobs in Alabama and Georgia, friends, foes, still go to for comfort. Junod’s piece, The Falling Man, is the old sweater, favorite blanket, photo album, etc., that I go to when I want to feel better or get a dose of reality about what it is I do every day. Writing is hard, so are memories of 9/11, both are vital ingredients of my life, both feel a lot better after I read The Falling Man. I took the time to express this to Junod during our interview.

Days after reading Falling Man for the first time I decided that I too was going to write the great American novel of magazine stories. To that point I had only written for my college newspaper, interned at Vibe magazine spin-off Blaze magazine, since closed and freelanced a bit. Falling Man and through it Tom Junod, gave me the kick in the butt I needed to dare become a journalist. I was at work in New York during 9/11, I worked just over the Brooklyn Bridge from the World Trade Center on Jay Street. I saw the towers every day from my desk on the seventh floor of my office building and I saw the south tower fall from that same window. The Falling Man gave me a more intricate view of a singular moment on that day despite having seen it with my own eyes. I haven’t looked at 9/11 the same since. That’s what good storytelling is supposed to do, it’s supposed to take you someplace, sometime in your life, bring you back and be ready to take you there again when you’re ready.

Towards the end of our interview Junod said, “I’m glad I could do that for you Donnell,” in response to my telling him how much the piece to me as an American, New York City native and consumer of all things storytelling.

Hey Tom, I’m glad you could too.