Writer Grace Paley Dead at 84

Back in April I reported on Stefan Brecht's poetry reading for Chelsea Now.  While at the reading I spent a good deal of time speaking with author Grace Paley. Sadly, Paley passed away yesterday.  Paley had lived in a apartment in the Village since the early 80s and said that when she first moved in there were no trees on her street.    While Brecht kept his eyes on the sidewalk, Paley was closely watching another physical aspect of the neighborhood.  “I always kept my eyes on the trees,” Paley says, considering the presence or absence of trees, and the extent of their growth, to be indicative to the health of a neighborhood.  “Back before that they never thought to plant a tree.  When I moved in they planted some of  the first ones on  my street, then they started planting them all over New York.”