Family and friends of author Grace Paley are celebrating her life and writings Friday. She was born in the Bronx on December 11, 1922, but later made her home in Thetford, Vermont. She passed away two years ago at the age of 84.
Today on Vermont Edition, you'll hear a 1998 recording of Paley reading "The Loudest Voice". First published in 1959, "The Loudest Voice" is told by Shirley Abramowitz, a little Jewish girl in the 1930's who remembers her childhood as a place where “every window is a mother's mouth bidding the street shut up” and where her own voice is always the loudest.
Shirley is called upon to narrate her school's Christmas play, a situation that prompts some pretty interesting conversations. The characters, humor and insight are classic Paley and a wonderful holiday story.
Listen at noon or at 7 to Vermont Edition. You can post your own reflections on Paley's life and work here.
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