September 11th, the 10 year anniversary of the day that shocked our nation, saw the first Cazenovia Forum event of the Fall season. The meeting followed the 7 p.m. candlelight vigil, organized by members of Project Café at Memorial Park, and provided a speaker who had been witness to the events in New York City. Thomas Flynn, a journalist and the author of the epic poem Bikeman, spoke at Cazenovia’s Presbyterian Church meeting house about his experiences.
Flynn was in New York City the fateful day that the twin towers collapsed. He recalled for the audience the reaction, first as the city was alive with confusion and people, and later when it all went quiet.
A former writer and producer at CBS, a producer for Dan Rather, a founding member of 48 Hours, and a producer for Steve Kroft at 60 Minutes, Flynn could not fight his urge to pursue the story unfolding. Little did he know what he was in for at the time.
After an introduction by Cindy Sutton, the President of the Cazenovia Forum, Thomas Flynn read excerpts from the beginning and the end of his book length poem. He accompanied the poetry with commentary that provided additional context and recollections.
As he read, Flynn’s charismatic manner at the podium drew every eye and ear of the full house that attended the Cazenovia Forum meeting. He made jokes to lighten the mood, but the words from his book were sobering.
Thomas Flynn was an observer, and with little idea of what to expect, a participant as well. He provided listeners with a fantastic glance into a time that those of our nation saw and felt but few experienced first hand. His first person present tense writing in Bikeman brings the reader to New York City and the pain that we collectively felt into perspective. “I wanted you to be with me,” Flynn explained to Sunday’s audience after he was asked why chose to write the poem the way he did. “Right there, as we went through that hell. I wanted to make it our story.”
After he concluded the narration of his chosen pieces audience members were given the chance to ask questions and make comments. Audience questions varied from, whether his lungs were damaged from the smoke and dust, to how it feels to have witnessed hundreds of peoples’ last moments. Flynn was inevitably asked if in hindsight he would still take that fateful bike ride towards the chaos. His wife, Nancy, he responded, was not happy with him for deciding to do it in the first place but it was the “biggest story I have covered in 30 years and I got out.” With a hand hiding his mouth from Nancy he “secretively” told the audience that he would do it all over again.
To conclude the evening Mr. Flynn signed copies of his book that were available for purchase and spoke to audience members individually. Students from Cazenovia High School set up the audio equipment and refreshments were donated by Dunkin’ Donuts and Beak and Skiff of LaFayette.
The next Cazenovia Forum event is on October 14th, when Betty Rollin will speak on end of life issues. Details of upcoming Forum events are available online at cazenoviaforum.com.
