On September 8, 2008, The English-Speaking Union of the United States National Headquarters hosted a reception for the author and a reading from Bikeman, an epic poem by Thomas F. Flynn that emerged from the author’s experiences at the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe on September 11th, 2001. Bikeman is a deeply moving relfection of a haunting day that will live forever in our collective memories.
| Thomas Flynn was a producer for “CBS Evening News with Dan Rather” at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Seeing an airplane flying too low over the city from the north, Flynn bicycled from his home to the World Trade Center to cover the attack for his news agency, and arrived in time to witness the collapse of the twin towers. The title of his book comes from a nickname someone called Flynn because of his refusal to abandon his bike during the ordeal. |
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As Mr. Flynn described his writing process, the form of the poem was inspired by Dante’s Inferno and consists of 38 cantos over 73 pages. The poem was written from notes that the author made in the days following September 11th. For the author, it served as an emotional outlet for the horror and grief he saw and experienced himself that day, and for readers it serves as a visceral reminder of events that are often seen in the context of what followed, what Flynn describes as a “9/12 world.”
Jim Dale, Grammy and Tony Award-winning actor and narrator (shown above, right, with William R. Miller OBE, Chairman of the English-Speaking Union), read a selection from Bikeman. He has also provided narration for the audio book version of Bikeman, and he is renowned for his narration of the Harry Potter audio book series.
Also present at the event was newscaster Dan Rather, shown here with Alice Boyne, ESU President and Executive Director.
Lleft to right: Dan Rather, Thomas Flynn, Jim Dale and his wife Julie Schafler.
Mr. Flynn and Mr. Dale signed copies of the Bikeman book and audio book.
Thomas Flynn and Jim Dale, shown with Alice Boyne, ESU President and Executive Producer, have been long-time friends and supporters of the English-Speaking Union and its programs.
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