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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview with Janette Reynolds
Aired August 28, 2002 - 06:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The images from that terrible day, September 11, are part of our consciousness forever, seared in by the horror and pain of that moment -- the terrorist attack on at United States and the devastation of the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Few, if any of us, could forget where we were when we heard the news.
Here to talk more about personal reflections of that day, that day that changed everything, is our guest Janette Reynolds, the author of "Where Were You On 9/11?," an anthology of intimate interviews.
Thanks for coming in, Janette.
JANETTE REYNOLDS, AUTHOR, "WHERE WERE YOU ON 9/11?": Thank you for having me, Carol.
COSTELLO: Why did you decide to write this book?
REYNOLDS: I lost that question the most because I absolutely had no intention whatsoever of writing a book on 9/11. But like many, I think, I was drawn to this tragedy. I live 2,000 miles away in Montana and what had happened was I had just concluded the sale of an interview magazine that I had founded in 1994 and the last thing I had on my mind was to do yet another interview.
But I went to New York on an unexpected trip. I made a trip down to ground zero and was just devastated by what I saw, and so moved by it.
COSTELLO: Yes. So where were you on 9/11?
REYNOLDS: I don't get asked that question too often, but I feel that my story is kind of dull. But I was just standing in my kitchen area listening to the radio. And it was a program that wasn't, it was pre-recorded so it didn't really have any broadcast news. And I received a phone call from a friend who said, you know, turn on TV. There's a tragedy going on.
COSTELLO: So you found out just like many of us did?
REYNOLDS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: You know, you're getting up and you just can't believe what you're seeing.
How did you decide who to interview for this? REYNOLDS: You know, it was hard. I think if I were to include all the interviews that I began with my little hit list, I guess you should say, I would have a book so thick we wouldn't be able to lift it off the table. But essentially what I did, Carol, was I wanted to make sure I got voices from people all across the United States, because this tragedy did happen to everybody. And, of course, I even included two Brits, you know...
COSTELLO: So common folk and also stars...
REYNOLDS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: And also just people who are famous giving their reflections on that day and answering the questions where were you?
REYNOLDS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We want to put some of them up on the screen right now, this one from Dr. Robert Schuler, who, of course, is a pastor. He said, "I sat in front of the TV for maybe an hour. I felt total grief, weeping."
When he recounted that to you, were there tears in his eyes? I mean what was his emotional state a year later?
REYNOLDS: Again, great question. What was so compelling for me as an interviewer with these particular people is, you know, who do they turn to when they are experiencing such grief and tragedy, like Dr. Robert Schuler? And, yes, you know, I just heard like the tiredness in his voice, kind of the wariness, which I think a lot of people expressed that.
COSTELLO: And I, you know, I have found when people talk about it and start giving you details of where they were, they start to sort of relive it. You know, you push it to the back of your mind because frankly you have to because it's painful. But then you start answering questions like the question you posed to people and it all comes back.
We want to put up another one.
REYNOLDS: Sure.
COSTELLO: This one from Sarah Ferguson. She said, "We immediately went round to try and find a way to give back and to help."
REYNOLDS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And she actually went to the site trying to help and they told her we don't have anything for you to do, so you have to go elsewhere to find something.
REYNOLDS: Sarah Ferguson is a remarkable woman. I have to admit I didn't know her prior to this project, obviously. I did contact her for this and I was, again, just so impressed with the people that were, that generously gave their time for interviews for this book.
Yes, she did go down and try to help and, again, her security team had to pull her away. So she's a huge humanitarian. I just so respect and admire her.
COSTELLO: When people read this book, what do you hope that you accomplish?
REYNOLDS: I hope that people will understand and read the stories in here and see the sharing and the commonality that they have with the folks in this book, because we are all, we are all connected. And this tragedy certainly did that for us.
COSTELLO: It certainly did.
Janette Reynolds, thank you very much.
The book, "Where Were You On 9/11?" is out on book stands right now.
REYNOLDS: It's just about on book stands.
COSTELLO: Oh, no.
REYNOLDS: I literally finished this on July 22. It was a miracle that we got it out. But people can go to janettereynolds.com and order the book right online.
COSTELLO: OK, thank you very much, Janette, for stopping by DAYBREAK this morning.
REYNOLDS: Thanks.
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