Paul Nelson worked as a clerk at Evergreen Video, on Carmine Street in the West Village, from 1989 to 2005. As he withdrew more and more, Evergreen served as his sanctuary. There he was surrounded by cinema, which he loved even more than music (renowned for his rock criticism, only occasionally did Paul act on his larger desire to be a film critic).

At the end of June, Steve Feltes, Evergreen's owner and one of Paul's best friends, closed Evergreen for good. Since Paul's death a year ago, and up until the shop's last day, a sign in the window acknowledged, without explanation, that he'd been there and that he'd mattered:

Copyright 2007 by Kevin Avery. All rights reserved.