New Book 'Scattered Steel' Traces 9/11 Memorial Steel Across America
In the book 'Scattered Steel: The Afterlife of the World Trade Center,' artist Sam Holleran and his brother Max Holleran, a sociologist, delve into the allocation and commemoration of steel retrieved from the World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks. During an NPR conversation with Scott Detrow, Sam elaborates on how these steel fragments found their way into various unexpected locations across the U.S. and the rationale behind their distribution. Numerous memorials were established ahead of the attacks' 10th anniversary. The Port Authority, which stored the steel at JFK Airport, banned its commercialization, leading to most of it being recycled abroad, mainly in India and China. The book also contemplates how these memorials will be viewed by future generations. The interview was broadcast on NPR on September 4, 2026.
Key facts
- Sam Holleran, an artist, and Max Holleran, a sociologist, co-authored the book 'Scattered Steel: The Afterlife of the World Trade Center.'
- The book examines how steel salvaged from the World Trade Center was distributed and used in memorials across the United States.
- Many memorials were built in the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
- The Port Authority set up a special program to retrieve and store steel in a hangar at JFK Airport.
- VIP tours of the stored steel were given to military, emergency management, and high-ranking government officials.
- The Port Authority prohibited commercialization of the steel, unlike the Berlin Wall, which was heavily commercialized.
- Approximately 95-96% of the steel from the destroyed structures was recycled overseas, mainly in India and China.
- Holleran compares the steel relics to religious relics and notes that many were formed into crosses.
- The book draws parallels between the World Trade Center steel and the Berlin Wall as physical relics.
- The interview aired on NPR on September 4, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Sam Holleran
Institutions
- NPR
- Port Authority
- World Trade Center
Locations
- United States
- Virginia
- New York City
- JFK Airport
- Berlin
- India
- China