Jodi Kantor: First article back and she goes for the fluff

I’m kidding of course; for her re-emergence on the writing and reporting scene, former Arts & Leisure editor Jodi Kantor tackles the always-fraught topic of September 11th, which she reminds us is just around the corner. The article wonders aloud whether the date remains sanctified, the provence of flickering candles and hushed voices, or whether the fading “black circle around the calendar date” has faded enough to, well, do whatever we’d do otherwise. Which is a very real question, addressing the rituals of grief and the needs they fulfill, but I can’t help but wonder why it’s being posed this year; in 2004, September 11th fell on a Saturday, the quintessential party night of the week.