Artists Registry

In September 2001, my partner and I were on a long-planned vacation in Italy with friends. Chance had us at a coffeeshop in San Gimignano when the horror of the attacks on the U.S. unfolded on television. We watched in stunned disbelief - our country was under seige, and we were in a foreign land. All flights home were on hold, so we kept our daytime itinerary, then watched endless hours of European television reports at night. We barely kept our equilibrium. During this time of mourning and uncertainty, we were comforted by the spontaneous support of the Italian people - everywhere, they extended their empathy: in written messages along the Ponte Vecchio; in personal comments in cafes; in prayers offered during Mass at the many churches we visited.

We were finally able to return to the U.S. on one of the few flights allowed into San Francisco: the airport was hushed, darkened, almost vacant. Our relief at coming home was at once constricted in our throats as the reality enveloped us. Yet, we were still 3,000 miles away from 'Ground Zero'.

I can only imagine what it was like for those who lost loved ones in New York, in Washington, D.C., in Pennsylvania. "On the Wind" is for you.