New York Times best-selling author Peter Balakian will read a selection of 9/11-themed poems tonight at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St., as part of the well-received "9/11, Today and Tomorrow" speakers series.

It's not too late to RSVP for this event and others in this dynamic series.

Balakian, a professor in humanities and English at Colgate University, has authored five books of poems and three prose works, including the Times best seller "The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response." His new book, titled "Ziggurat," wrestles with the aftermath and reverberations of 9/11. Balakian will share some of these September 11-themed works and explain the inspiration behind his words.

 He will also be available to sign copies of his new book. Listen to a NPR interview with Balakian here.

Balakian will be the first speaker in the series fall and winter lineup. Others events include a talk with the 9/11 Memorial's architect Michael Arad. All the speakers series events are at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St. (Between Church Street and Broadway)

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

On October 12, 2000, 11 months before the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole was refueling at a port in Yemen when a motorboat approached and suicide bombers detonated 1,000 pounds of explosives. The blast killed 17 and injured 39 crew members, while blowing a hole forty-feet wide in the side of the ship. The attack was attributed to a cell within the al Qaeda network.

When I talk about the twin mission of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to commemorate and educate, we often say that the events of 9/11 are part of an ongoing story, one that began well before that day and that continues to shape our world well beyond it. Like the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people in New York City, the USS Cole bombing was an attack by al Qaeda terrorists on United States citizens—an event that preceded September 11, 2001, and is critical to understanding the questions that arose after that day.

Ten years ago today, 17 U.S. sailors were killed far from home. Their parents had sent their sons and daughters off to protect our country and the values that make it great. They might have expected a letter or a call home that day, but instead they were met with the news that their brave children had become casualties of a heinous terrorist attack. On this anniversary, we remember the families of those killed aboard the USS Cole ten years ago.

To learn more about the USS Cole please click here.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will honor the 2,982 people killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Today, please join us as we remember that 9/11 and 1993 exist in the context of other dates like October 12, 2000. By honoring the memories of those murdered by terrorists, we reaffirm our determination to prevail against hate.

By Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial

RSVP now to hear New York Times best-selling author Peter Balakian read a selection of 9/11-themed poems tomorrow at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St. Balakian is kicking off the fall and winter lineup for the well-received "9/11, Today and Tomorrow" speakers series.

Balakian, a professor in humanities and English at Colgate University, has authored five books of poems and three prose works, including the Times best seller "The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response." His new book, titled "Ziggurat," wrestles with the aftermath and reverberations of 9/11. Balakian will share some of these September 11-themed works and explain the inspiration behind his words.

 He will also be available to sign copies of his new book. Listen to a NPR interview with Balakian here.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Websignia is described as a "boutique digital media agency" that specializes in discovering creative and technical solutions. The agency is also known for meeting clients' needs. The company did just that in designing the 9/11 Memorial's "The MEMO blog."

With global supporters behind this American tribute, Websignia developed a blog platform that welcomes discovery, exploration and an inside look into the project's construction progress, plans and the work of the people helping to build the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The 9/11 Memorial thanks Websignia, especially Steve and Dalmar. Please visit The MEMO (The blog's name was created using the first four letters in memorial.) and explore all things related to an unprecedented moment in history. We also urge you to respectfully comment on blog posts.

So please spread the word about The MEMO,  tweet about the exclusive blog posts on Twitter or provide a link to it on Facebook. For all of you who are frequent readers, thank you for your support.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Robert J. Darling is a former White House military office airlift operations liaison officer. In that position, Darling was charged with organizing all logistical aspects of travel for the White House. His recent book "24 Hours inside the President’s Bunker" details his time in the president’s emergency operations center on September 11, 2001.

The "Exploring 9/11" webcast series is exclusively produced for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and is hosted by Clifford Chanin, senior program advisor for the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Check our website each month for a new installment in the series. If you missed previous webcasts, find it on The MEMO blog or visit national911memorial.org.

Download the guide for teaching and learning

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Did you vote for the 9/11 Memorial yet? I did and I return each week to support the charity I'm proud to represent as the president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial. I'm asking you to join me in this effort to secure $200,000 for the 9/11 Memorial.  

Voting is easy as steps 1, 2 and 3.

• Step 1: Vote! Visit the Members Project site here, click “register to vote” (or sign in using your username and password if you’ve already participated in Members Project voting) and then vote for the 9/11 Memorial under the “Arts & Culture” category.
• Step 2: Spread the word to your family and friends through e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. Ask everyone you know to support the building of our nation’s Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site by voting for the 9/11 Memorial. Here’s an example tweet: “Just 1 year until the 9/11 Memorial opens. Show your support by voting for the 9/11 Memorial to win funding from Members Project. Visit http://bit.ly/bN1yOF.” And an example Facebook post: “I haven’t forgotten 9/11. Please help me win $200,000 for the 9/11 Memorial in support of their mission to commemorate and educate. Visit http://www.takepart.com/membersproject.”
• Step 3: IMPORTANT! Repeat Steps 1 and 2 every week to ensure the 9/11 Memorial receives the much-needed $200,000. Please help us to win this crucial funding. We can’t do it without you. Vote now and visit national911memorial.org to learn more.

Help us get the word out that the 9/11 Memorial has been picked as a charity to win $200,000 through Members Project from American Express and TakePart. If you are already taking the time to vote for us each week, thank you so much. It means a lot to me, our organizations and our supporters.  

Now tell your friends to tell their friends to join you in this effort.  Every single vote counts and we truly appreciate each one. Follow these simple steps to support us through Members Project. Be sure to vote once a week from now until November 21st.

Thank you.

By Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial

If you haven't already, download the powerful "Explore 9/11" app for free at Apple's App store.

It has three main features that include a tour, a display of 9/11-related photos based on your location and an interactive timeline. 11. The images used for “Explore 9/11” are pulled from the 9/11 Memorial’s “Make History” website.

 Here's a glance at the app's main features:

•  A seven-stop walking tour of points of interest around the World Trade Center site. Vivid pictures and audio narration bring this experience to life. Details of about what happened on 9/11 and in the aftermath are told by first responders, rescue workers, volunteers and lower Manhattan residents. The content of the tour is accessible to users no matter where they live.  
•  An “explore” option reveals 9/11-related images that were taken nearby the users’ locations (using GPS).  The augmented reality mode overlays 9/11 photos when using the camera view. The photos are taken directly from the “Make History” website and used for various modes.
• An interactive timeline provides a chronicling of the day’s events and aftermath. Links to witnesses photos taken during these highlighted times are included.

The app was developed by Local Projects. See a sample movieon app's walking tour.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

In case you missed it: Last month, the first of the more than 400 swamp white oak trees were planted on the plaza of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. Check out the above FOX News' "The Rise of Freedom" broadcast on the trees.

Environmental Design, the company in charge of caring for the trees and coordinating the planting at WTC, has won the 2010 Texas Arboricultural Project of the Year Award for an unrelated tree relocation project in Texas, according to the company's Twitter page. Read more about the work that earned the company this award here. 

Plantings at the World Trade Center site will continue in phases over the next several months as the memorial plaza is prepared to receive more trees.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

Staff photographer Amy Dreher snaps a lot of pictures at the World Trade Center site, documenting the construction progress of the 9/11 Memorial. Amy also trains her lens on the smaller pieces that may be overlooked with a project of this magnitude. Through “The Lens: Viewing the 9/11 Memorial,” readers of The MEMO blog can share some of the unique vantage points captured by Amy.

Working Stiff: A couple of World Trade Center construction workers have some lighthearted fun while taking a break in Zuccotti Park, just yards from the WTC site. Workers  Anthony Cosenza and Mike Oak, who's without the hard hat, are among the thousands of workers who punch a clock each day to help rebuild the site and construct the 9/11 Memorial, which opens next year.  In chatting with them, photographer Amy Dreher said the pair told her that they topped  the statue with a hard hat to provide tourists a unique photo opportunity.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager with the 9/11 Memorial

Thanks to everyone who continues to cast a vote each week for the 9/11 Memorial to win funding from Members Project! Your votes make a huge difference. 

We're leading in the “Arts & Culture” category, but the race is very close.  The $200,000 in funding would be a tremendous help in building the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Cast your vote now, and make sure to spread the word to your family and friends about the 9/11 Memorial’s opportunity to secure funding through Members Project. You and your friends can also vote on Facebook and Twitter.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff