As the nation remembers the events of a year ago, bookstores across the country are stocking their shelves with a multitude of literature offering views of the attacks. From photo memoirs to investigative expos??s to children's books, nearly 150 new works related to Sept. 11 have been published, according to a report recently published in the Chicago Tribune.
But while there is a demand for such material, some view the deluge of books as unnecessary.
Others see the works as worthwhile, both for the audience and the publishers.
\For the most part, [publishers] are not trying to educate, but I think they do feel the need to put things in perspective,"" said Michael Doskocil, office manager for Borders Book Shop & Caf??, 3416 University Ave. ""Most are located in New York City and there is a feeling that providing these books is the right thing to do.""
While the anniversary is arousing American interest, several books have already met with huge success outside of the United States. Works like Noam Chomsky's ""9/11, A Collection of Interviews Following the Attacks"" and Tariq Ali's ""The Clash of Fundamentalism"" are two such books that have gained international notoriety in the past year.
Many literary critics view books such as these as bright spots in an often cloudy international picture painted by the media.
""Especially with the television insisting on shoveling out so much garbage [after 9/11], I am an absolute believer in the book,"" said Bruce Robbins, a professor of comparative literature at Columbia University. ""[Books give readers] the ability to step back, test the evidence, weigh different points of view and seek out the big picture.""
According to Allen Ruff, a staff member at the Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative, 426 W. Gilman St., to get the clearest views, readers must look to non-American authors.
""Some of the best stuff comes from outside of the United States, and there are a number that are doing good,"" he said. ""It's not always about money, but some of the giant publishers do not want to necessarily lose their prestige by supporting controversial authors.""
Some investigative literary pieces, such as ""The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It"" by John Miller, Chris Mitchell and Mike Stone, are also looking to gain attention, although some critics question the true motives of these authors.
""I for one believe a lot of it is unnecessary, and really only there to protect the government, not to protect us,"" Robbins said. ""But I think the authors are still right to do the best they can with the information available.""
The majority of books, however, are coffee table memoirs and photo journals aimed to help those who were affected by the attacks. Doskocil noted ""Portraits 9/11/01: The Collected Portraits of Grief"" from The New York Times as a compilation that stood above the rest.
""I just think it gives a very unique human perspective on the attacks,"" he said.
