After the attacks of Sep 11, 2001, Aarons wrote the libretto for "Sara's Diary, 9/11", an opera composed by his collaborator on "Monticello", Glenn Paxton. A song cycle, this work is a fictional account of a pregnant woman, who, after her husband dies in the tragedy, experiences deeply mixed emotions. It premiered at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center on Sep 8, 2003 in commemoration of the unprecedented attacks.