“I'd rather be the one who wears his heart on his sleeve than the squinting cynic sitting in the corner.” “I refuse to believe sentiment is sentimental,” McCann said. The novel earned critical acclaim, but some reviewers accuse him of being sentimental. The author goes on to tell stories of ordinary lives becoming extraordinary, drawn together by hope and beauty. The novel opens with New York City residents looking up to witness the “artistic crime of the century” based on Philippe Petit's real-life 1974 tightrope walk between the two towers. Acts of creation contrast against acts of destruction. “Let the Great World Spin” doesn't specifically mention 9/11 but can be seen as a metaphor for it. get through some of the brutality.” He wrote two other books until deciding the time was right to start in 2005. But he knew he couldn't write the novel immediately after the tragedy. The shoes are now on display at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.Ĭountless stories of that day rattled around McCann's brain. “No,” she said, “because in those shoes, he walked out.”

McCann asked his wife if he should throw them away. Only his shoes remained, left by the front door, caked with dirt and debris. Roger stripped off all his clothes and dumped them in the trash. McCann explained her grandfather wasn't burning his clothes just smelled like smoke. McCann found her and asked why she was scared. Granddaughter Isabella jumped into Roger's arms then ran away and hid. 9 Fort Collins Reads presentation at the Hilton to discuss his novel, “Let the Great World Spin,” winner of the 2009 National Book Award.Īfter walking through falling debris, water and dirt to McCann's apartment about five miles away on 71st Street, Roger told his family he would never forget the faces of the firefighters and paramedics climbing the stairs as he escaped to the street. 11, 2001 when terrorists flew airplanes into the two towers. Colum McCann's father-in-law, Roger, was working on the 59th floor of the World Trade Center on Sept.

Let the big world spin