NEWS: Friend of beloved psychic pays fair tribute
TITLE:Friend of beloved psychic pays fair tribute
LINK:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070121/NEWS01/701210302/1002/NEWS
EXCERPT:(January 21, 2007) — In the two years that Libby Varno knew Elaine Russell, the two women shared a lot: jobs as teachers' aides, a love of spiritualism and poetry, and activism.
Russell, who gave free astrology and tarot readings every Sunday for 17 years at Aaron's Alley, a Monroe Avenue store, had been something of a mentor to Varno.
"She was a really cool person," Varno said. Russell helped Varno deal with the politics of a school job and gave her advice about believing in herself. It wasn't until after Russell died that Varno, who lives in the lower Monroe Avenue neighborhood, became aware that her friend was also a poet, frequenting some of the same open-mike poetry nights that Varno loved.