Post-9/11 Anthology Released

By T. Eve Greenaway, WireTap. Posted January 8, 2002.

Shortly after September 11th, a group of young activists found themselves wondering about how to widen the conversations they'd been having. They talked about how they were getting through a time that felt cluttered with conservative, simplistic messages, capitalist jargon and the kind of black and white "patriotism" that insists you keep your opinions to yourself. Many of them were reading alternative news sources and subscribing to activist listserves. Most had been sharing stories, attending rallies, connecting with people in their own communities as a way to stay sane. But they wanted to expand their conversations and let more people listen in.

Then someone had an idea. Why not try to publish some of what they were reading in an anthology and invite voices from around the country?

	Excerpt from: Corner Talk, September as it appears in "Another World is Possible." by Danny Hoch 1. hey yo son, i swear to god bee. i was standin outside mcdonalds kid, eatin a sausage and cheese mcmuffin, and i seen it happen son. at first i was like, what's that shadow? what's that shadow? then it was like boom, son. illuminati-nostradmus-dionne warwick ype s**t bee. you could still smell that s**t in brooklyn son. 2. hey yo. bush was reading some dick and jane s**t to some kids in florida, next thing you know, he told them kids - peace - got on his bulletproof plane and started makin zigzag type s**t real quick. in his plane, talking bout-they gonna kill me, they gonna kill me, go to nebraska, f**k it, go to alabama, got to china and shit. running yo. they had that cowboy crazy shook son.

And three months later, here it is. Edited by six twentysomethings, "Another World is Possible, New World Disorder" is meant to be a way to "reflect on how the crisis has impacted our lives, explore the roots of anti-American terrorism, and offer concrete solutions for preventing future atrocities."

Hailing from different parts of the U.S., the editors (Some of whom are involved with New York's Active Element Foundation are a cross section of today's young activism. Their previous work spans the gamut: from hip-hop activism to environmental work to organizing around political prisoners. And their involvement in a project like "Another World is Possible" may just be an example of one of this dark cloud's most important silver linings. It illustrate the fact that young critical thinkers everywhere are joining forces.

Like other books that have cropped up this year in response to September 11th, such as the soon-to-be--released AlterNet book, "After 9/11: Solutions for a Saner World," "Another World" includes work by a variety of writers and thinkers, from Angela Davis to Boots Riley from the Coup. The book is put together like a conversation and moves through emotional responses to analysis, and hopeful visioning for the future. "We tried to make the book accessible to everyone" said editor and activist Walidah Imarisha, in a recent interview. But, she says, "When it comes down to it, people of color are going to be the most effected by this. They will be the ones that bear the brunt of the cut backs, the restrictions. They'll be the ones who lose their jobs." Walidah says she wants the book to get into the hands of those who are outside of traditional activists circles and "just everyday folks."

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