Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the events of that day remain deeply personal for those who lived through them, and increasingly historical for the generations who did not.
For artist and poet James Pelletier, remembrance became a lifelong act of service.
After spending months volunteering at Ground Zero as part of the effort to help Lower Manhattan recover, Pelletier returned home and wrote Downtown Lower Manhattan, a poem honoring the people, places, and experiences forever changed by the attacks.
Today, as the nation marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Learning Ally is honored to share a new way for students, educators, and families to experience Pelletier’s words. His poem, narrated by Learning Ally volunteer Sheila Kerwin, is now included in the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution library.
From Ground Zero to the Page
In the months following September 11, Pelletier volunteered at Ground Zero as part of the “Return to Normalcy” effort. But his work to honor those lost that day did not end when he left Lower Manhattan.
He brought together Wall Street businesses, community groups, the United Nations, and the New York City unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), now Learning Ally, to help create meaningful acts of remembrance.
One of those efforts became Remember to Remember September 11, a historic audio project created in collaboration with the New York City RFB&D studio. Pelletier organized volunteers to record the names of victims from the World Trade Center and members of the FDNY who lost their lives.
The resulting recordings became part of the first anniversary tributes held in Battery Park in 2002. Pelletier has continued organizing annual readings and remembrance projects in the years since.
For him, remembering was not simply about looking back. It was about ensuring that the people lost were known, named, and never forgotten.
“Dignity Is More Powerful Than Destruction”
Pelletier’s approach to art and remembrance is deeply connected to his experience as a visually impaired artist.
Throughout his career, he has explored the intersection of public art, technology, light, and auditory expression. His work invites people to experience the world, and one another, in different ways.
That philosophy also shaped his response to 9/11.
When reflecting on his work, Pelletier has expressed a belief that “Dignity is More Powerful than Destruction.”
It is an idea that can be felt throughout his remembrance projects. In the aftermath of unimaginable loss, he chose to create. He chose to bring people together. And he chose to use art, language, and the human voice to preserve memory.
Downtown Lower Manhattan emerged from that experience.
The poem has since been shared and recorded by prominent cultural figures, and it has received recognition beyond the literary world. But at its heart, the work remains a personal response to a place, a community, and a moment in history that changed the world.
A Shared History of Accessibility and Service
Pelletier’s collaboration with RFB&D (now Learning Ally) was also personally meaningful.
As a person living with a visual impairment, he understood the importance of an organization dedicated to making literature and educational content accessible to people who cannot easily access traditional print.
For decades, the organization has connected readers with the human voice through accessible audiobooks and other supports designed to remove barriers to learning.
Pelletier’s work with the New York City studio represented another expression of that mission.
Together, volunteers used accessible audio not only to support readers, but also to preserve an important piece of history. Voices came together to record the names of those lost, ensuring that remembrance itself could be heard.
Keeping Memory Alive for a New Generation
For today’s students, September 11 is history. Many were born years after the attacks. They learn about the events through textbooks, documentaries, family stories, memorials, and the voices of people who were there.
Poetry offers another way to connect.
Through Downtown Lower Manhattan, students can encounter one person’s response to a defining moment in American history. And through Sheila Kerwin’s narration, they can experience the poem through the power and nuance of a human voice.
Audio can help bring history closer. It can preserve the emotion, perspective, and humanity behind an event. And it can help ensure that more people have the opportunity to engage with the stories that shape our shared understanding of the world.
As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Learning Ally is honored to recognize James Pelletier’s contributions as an artist, poet, volunteer, and longtime collaborator in the work of accessibility.
His story reminds us that remembrance can take many forms and is carried forward through a voice.
Read, Listen, Connect, and Reflect
We invite you to experience James Pelletier’s Downtown Lower Manhattan and take a moment to reflect on the people and stories we continue to carry with us.
James Pelletieri’s audiobook narrated by Sheila Kerwin
For Learning Ally Audiobook Solution users: Read and listen to Downtown Lower Manhattan in the Learning Ally library.
For those without access: Listen to the accessible recording and join us in remembering.
Preserving memory not only remembers the past; it is also about ensuring that future generations can continue to learn from it.
