THE VARIOUS RESPONSES by the members of the Juilliard community to the tragedy of September 11 were remarkable for their depth of humanity, courage, and creativity.

Photo © by Mark Smith, camazotz.com/wtc

Although we will all have the horrors of that day and its aftermath emblazoned in our collective memories forever, I also will cherish the generosity of spirit and communal sharing all of us at Juilliard experienced at that time of crisis.

An article in the August 11 New York Times dealt with the difficulty of finding adequate words to express one's sense of loss in response to a cataclysmic event. In it, the reporter Janny Scott wrote: "People have long made the case that the most profound and powerful events are inexpressible, or that they demand the simplest possible language."

In the year since the catastrophe, actors, dancers, and musicians at Juilliard, in New York, and around the world have, through their art, begun to express the inexpressible, the feelings of despair, anger, and helplessness that 9/11 evoked in us. For this commemorative feature, The Juilliard Journal asked several writers to explore how the events of last September have affected the creative process in the arts. Their reports, along with some personal remembrances and poetry, should help bring September 11 into better perspective.

— Joseph W. Polisi

Music: Music as Metaphor By Dalit Hadass Warshaw

With the occurrence of any national—or international—horror such as 9/11, a society wounded in spirit will inevitably throng toward the creative arts to supply it with expression and comfort. Perhaps more than any other art, music has always fulfilled this function in every known society. More...

	Theater: Healing Stages By Roger Oliver
	If the events of September 11 have increased the need for exposure to theatrical visions from throughout the world, they have also greatly complicated the process of presenting theater companies from other countries. More...

	Dance: Coming Full Circle By Carolyn Adams
	While it may be important to acknowledge specific earth-shattering events through our dances, perhaps even more important is to ensure that we design our communities and institutions placing conscience above consensus. More...

	Art: Images of the Unimaginable By Greta Berman
	Sometimes art, like life, is about simply persevering, and not allowing terrorists to stop us. Sometimes it's more direct, commenting on war and violence. Time will be needed to assess the first raw responses, and to see whether a Guernica will be produced from the detritus. More...

Choral Catharsis at Ground Zero By Joanna Spilker

It is one thing to have watched those towers come down repeatedly on television, and another to have looked up while crossing Fifth Avenue, only to witness the explosion as the second tower was hit. More...

Three Poems on 9/11

If June 28, 1914 marks not only the beginning of World War I but, as Anna Akhmatova claimed, the beginning of the 20th century, it's possible that September 11, 2001 marks its end. These three poems—two by Juilliard students Yuna Lee and Jennifer Quan, and one by Liberal Arts faculty member Ron Price—function as witnesses of that day, each from a singular perspective addressing a collective experience that will take a much longer time to clarify. More...