In the Shadow of No Towers

About “In the Shadow of No Towers”

For Art Spiegelman, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were both deeply personal and politically charged. In In the Shadow of No Towers, his first new book of comics since Maus, he reflects on the events and their aftermath. Spiegelman and his family lived in lower Manhattan and experienced the attacks firsthand. His teenage daughter had started school near the towers just days before, and the family had lived in the area for years. The trauma of the day was only the start of his struggle, as he became angry at the U.S. government for using the tragedy to push its own agenda. He expressed his feelings through comics, using a large format that recalls early newspaper comics. His work combines artistry, provocation, and wit to explore the impact of 9/11 on his life and the changes it brought to American society.