What We Left Behind

Abandoning the city in an emergency might be the smart thing to do, but it doesn't necessarily feel good.

I have many memories of 9/11, but this is one.

I remember meeting a fellow New Yorker for coffee on the small New England campus where we both taught. Both of us had been fielding calls and emails all day from people around the country who wanted to know if we were ok, and we were both glad to reassure people that we were. Instantly, my colleague Magda …