South Street Seaport Museum announces History and Heroism

South Street Seaport Museum announces History and Heroism, a conversation with Jessica DuLong, historian and author of Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift, and Robert Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian and professor emeritus at Rutgers University, on September 10, 2022 at 6pm aboard tall ship Wavertree at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets). The book is also the September selection for the Museum's Book Club, meeting September 26, 2022 at 5:30pm at McNally Jackson at 4 Fulton Street, just a few doors down from the Museum. For more information and to register for these two free literary events, visit southstreetseaportmuseum.org/visit/programs_events.

History and Heroism

September 10, 2022 at 6pm

Aboard tall ship Wavertree at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets)

southstreetseaportmuseum.org/history-and-heroism

The panelists' personal experiences surrounding the tragic events of 9/11 will serve as the catalyst for a thoughtful discussion delving into the complexities of heroic actions and how and when certain individuals obtain historical "heroic" status. Inspired by DuLong's writing, the session will examine how choosing to emphasize heroic acts might "include more people in the circle of those who see themselves as helpers capable of heroism." The conversation will explore the how historians, artists, and the public define "heroes" and how that perception can shift over time. A complimentary toast is included, and copies of Saved at the Seawall will also be available for purchase. 

September Book Club

September 26, 2022 at 5:30pm

McNally Jackson at 4 Fulton Street

southstreetseaportmuseum.org/bookclub

This new, maritime-themed book club, which meets on the last Monday of every month, is presented in partnership with McNally Jackson Books. Literary selections will be announced one month in advance, and both Seaport Museum staff and special guests will stir up lively discussions, informed by a shared love of literature, history, and preservation.

Saved at the Seawall is also available for purchase at most bookstores. Register for the September meeting of the Seaport Museum Book Club today to receive a 10% off discount code for online orders of Saved at the Seawall at McNally Jackson Books.

Jessica DuLong is a Brooklyn-based, ASJA award-winning author, journalist, book collaborator, writing coach, and editor. Her latest book, Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift, is the definitive history of the largest maritime evacuation in history. Her previous book, My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work that Built America; A Personal and Historical Journey, traces the rise and fall of respect for hands-on work in the U.S. across four centuries of New York Harbor and Hudson River history. DuLong has published with CNN.com, Newsweek International, Rolling Stone, Psychology Today, New York History, The Daily Beast, LitHub, and History News Network, among other outlets. Her media appearances include: Spike Lee's HBO docu-series "NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½," TODAY show, CBS Sunday Morning, USA Today, History Channel, C-Span, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. She also appears, in cartoon form, in Maira Kalman's picture book, Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey. DuLong is a USCG-licensed marine engineer who served aboard retired 1931 NYC fireboat John J. Harvey for two decades, 11 years as chief. jessicadulong.com

About Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift

Saved at the Seawall is the definitive history of the largest ever waterborne evacuation. Jessica DuLong reveals the dramatic story of how the New York Harbor maritime community heroically delivered stranded commuters, residents, and visitors out of harm's way. Even before the US Coast Guard called for "all available boats," tugs, ferries, dinner boats, and other vessels had sped to the rescue from points all across New York Harbor. In less than nine hours, captains and crews transported nearly half a million people from Manhattan.

Anchored in eyewitness accounts and written by a mariner who served at Ground Zero, Saved at the Seawall weaves together the personal stories of people rescued that day with those of the mariners who saved them. DuLong describes the inner workings of New York Harbor and reveals the collaborative power of its close-knit community. Her chronicle of those crucial hours, when hundreds of thousands of lives were at risk, highlights how resourcefulness and basic human goodness triumphed over turmoil on one of America's darkest days.

Robert Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian and professor emeritus at Rutgers University, has devoted his career to writing and teaching about the history of New York City. Currently editing a documentary history of the COVID pandemic in New York, he writes for both scholars and the general public in books such as Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York and All the Nations Under Heaven: Immigrants, Migrants and the Making of New York. He has consulted for the Smithsonian Institution, National Public Radio, and the Museum of the City of New York. He is a former Fulbright lecturer in American Studies in Korea, and a member of the New York Academy History. He lives in Manhattan.

About the South Street Seaport Museum

The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the historic seaport district in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working nineteenth-century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of "Where New York Begins." http://www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org

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