DESIRE: September 2008 Archives
A fellow blogger posted some poignant memories in Memories of New York City, September 11, 2001 - Out of a Clear Blue Sky. However, I want to take a different focus on this day.
One story that really came to the fore after the towers fell was the story of a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit.
On the early morning of August 7th, in 1974, Philippe stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.
While the story made headlines at the time, this remarkable achievement and all that it stood for was largely forgotten until after September 11, 2001.
Ric Burns, in his American Experience: New York: The Center of the World, extensively documents, I believe for the first time, Philippe Petit Great Poetic feat.
I'm not sure if the new film Man On A Wire was inspired by Ric Burn's treatment of Petit, but -- I wouldn't be surprised: Burns did an excellent job:
