The September 11th Flipbook started off as a gag. In October 2005, I made a couple to share with friends and get their reactions. It seemed like every person I showed the flipbook to had something to say. Most recalled their version of the day, usually pin pointing the exact moment they became aware of what was happening. Some people were shocked at the scene depicted in the palm of my hand, but most were fascinated by the mechanics of flipping paper.
Initially, I was opposed to mass-producing the tiny books and refused to sell them at any price. I did not want to profit from the video for several reasons. An incredible amount of people died and I felt it would be wrong to capitalize on a tragedy. Also the video footage is owned by CNN, and I did not want to ask permission to create art. I believe when it comes to copyright law, my flipbook falls under "fair use", but I do not have a team of lawyers to back that assertion up.
I held on to the flipbooks for a couple of months, unsure exactly what to do with them. It was 4 years after the attacks and some people considered the subject completely off limits. Somehow, all the "Never Forget 9/11" memorabilia seemed to pass the taboo test, but my handmade flipbooks clearly pushed some sensitive buttons.
After passing the tiny flipbook around for a while, I realized the value in people’s feedback. Their critique of my artwork intertwined with personal memories created a unique meta-story each time. I knew the flipbook would need a lot of explaining and I was not sure if I could stand up for it all by myself, nor did I want to do it alone. The essay exchange was born out of necessity to explain this controversial art project. I was delighted to have stumbled upon a reason to continue making more September 11th Flipbooks, even if I had to give them away.
In March 2006, I had 50 flipbooks professionally made by the same people that make my barcode flipbooks.  Each color flipbook cost about $3.50, plus shipping to each writer, I estimated around $5 total. I figured I would ask people to write around 500 words, a penny per word monetarily speaking.
I put a call out for essays on my website, with video of a sample flipping. I was not sure how many emails I would receive. I sent out a mass email announcing the project, and several of my friends contributed essays. In less than 4 months I collected 50 responses. All of the different viewpoints legitimized the project. Even the angry responses turned into an opportunity for positive learning.
The first essay I received was actually taken from a conversation I was having with my friend about the project. I sort of tricked her into writing a long email and told her after the fact I would be using her words to kick off the project. I offered her chance to edit or re-submit a proper essay, but she decided to keep original statement in tact.
I was relieved to find the overall response was positive, but part of me secretly wished that more haters would have written in. I knew the flipbook would offend some people, but now that I’ve created a place for anyone to voice their opinions and reactions, I actually looked forward to reading their essays to better understand their side of the story. Not surprisingly, the handful of angry messages I did receive were short and understandably did not include a street address or return my emails. I have to include my favorite of the bunch.

For better or worse, the flipbook seemed to magnify the difference between people who were there and people that were not. It is not my intention to pour salt in anyone’s wound. Nobody forces me to make art. I do it because I want to. I believe the terrorist attacks happened to all of us, no matter what side you are on, it affected the entire world. I needed to learn from September 11th. I had to find something positive in all that senseless destruction. The mainstream did not satisfy my hunger for truth. I felt empowered searching for meaning from a day filled with death and lies.
I am a lot of things: a tech nerd, DIY punk, conceptual artist. But I have never considered myself a writer. In fact, when I talk about the September 11th Flipbook project, I tell people I "created" the book, rather than "wrote" the book.
I tried not to intrude on the essays, but I did pose questions to several participants mainly to increase word count. I was much more interested in listening to and recording their responses. A few essays were not exactly what I was hoping for, but I included them regardless. I only refused a handful for being too short (I wasn't giving the books away for free after all.) The whole process of collecting essays felt like a talk show.
Inventors are not always the best person to talk to about their creations. I always struggle writing artist statements, and prefer the artwork speak for itself. The essays in the September 11th Flipbook describe the content of the book and at the same time they are the content of the book. Because other people wrote about this project, I did not have to. My voice and thoughts were expressed in the voices and thoughts of the participants.

Scott Bl8ke