9/11 Reshapes Lives Across New York

As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, accounts from journalists and witnesses recall how an ordinary morning in New York abruptly became a scene of terror and confusion. Columbia journalism students covering primary-election stories across the city watched smoke rise from the World Trade Center, encountered stunned crowds watching television footage, and suddenly found themselves reporting on the biggest story of their lives. Fashion editor Laura Craik was attending New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park when a low-flying plane, urgent calls and the collapse of the towers transformed a routine maternity-wear show into a firsthand account of catastrophe. Her colleague, photographer Cavan Pawson, abandoned the event and captured some of the earliest images of the towers’ collapse as panicked New Yorkers struggled to flee, communicate with family and understand what was happening. Separate accounts also recount celebrities who narrowly avoided the World Trade Center or hijacked flights because of changed plans, oversleeping or other coincidences, while noting the many entertainment figures and family members who were killed.