Covering the Story

Can it already be a year? That September morning is still so seared in our minds here at Time that all the months after that seem to have flashed by. Over the past 12 months, we have run 21 covers devoted to 9/11 and its consequences, ranging from anthrax to Afghanistan, from George W. Bush to a prescient fbi agent in Minnesota named Coleen Rowley. In each case we tried to give you a front-row seat to history, breaking news and making sense out of tumult.

For this week's double issue, we take the measure of 11 people whose lives continue to be shaped by that day. One is George W. Bush, one is the last person rescued alive from the towers, and one is the daughter of a victim; the rest are people who only after 9/11 found themselves swept up by events.

Priscilla Painton deftly led the team of more than 50 people around the world who worked on this issue for the past four months. Eric Pooley, Janice Simpson, MaryAnne Golon and D.W. Pine were her four lieutenants, editing stories, assigning photographers and designing the pages. For our cover, we wanted an elegant image that conveyed the power of 9/11 without shouting, so Arthur Hochstein assigned the task to artist Robert Rauschenberg. I think his collage, with its layering of news photos and flowers, preserves the moment beautifully. I hope you agree.