Article: Vanished, Under Force of Time and an Inconstant Earth by Dennis Overbye
Found in: The New York Times
Published: September 6, 2005

I really enjoyed this article because it combines and compares history with the present day. I thought the historical content of the article made it interesting to read and was effective in drawing in the reader. The article begins by speaking about ancient cities that have been destroyed either through climatic changes, natural catastrophes, or other unknown causes. It causes the reader to think about what makes a city great while simultaneously forcing them to acknowledge that great empires do and will eventually decline. After analyzing the fall of great cities such as Alexandria and Nan Madol, the article ties in the present day by comparing their conditions with the state of emergency New Orleans is currently in. This comparison jumped out at me because it caused me to recognize that though New Orleans was undergoing a decline, the spirit of the city will not be forgotten, it will continue to live on through its accomplishments.