We’ve got 2 works that show familiar Westport scenes. Two focusing on wooden structures. Two with “Waiting” in the title. Two watercolors; 2 acrylics; 2 collages. And (well, it was close) 3 artists showing their works here for the first time.
All are — as always — welcome. No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.
“The Aqua Entry” (Patricia McMahon — Available for purchase; click here)
“Big Changes in Society Affect the Window Glass We See Through” (Eric Bosch)
“Victory” (Rowene Weems — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“Lady in Waiting” — watercolor (Lucy Johnson)
“Spiderman” — screen print canvas with acrylic paint, 32″ x 32″, #35 of 35, also signed by Stan Lee (Steve Kaufman — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled — acrylic and pastels, 36″ x 36″ (Melissa Benedek)
“African Mixup” — digital collage (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled — collaged landscape (Amelia Kessler — age 9, One River Art student)
“Waiting” (Nancy Breakstone — Available for purchase; click here)
“The Fog Comes on Little Cat Feet” — watercolor (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Martin Ripchick — Available for purchase; click here)
“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery –as it has been for 6 years. But please consider an anniversary donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Scotland native Joe Pierce was an early FCIAC soccer star at Stamford’s Rippowam High School. He is a long-time area resident, a former Staples High School assistant coach, and producer of a film about legendary English star Sir Stanley Matthews.
He’s led quite a life, and has the stories to prove it. But this may be his best ever. With the first match of the 2026 World Cup just 5 days away, Joe writes:
In December 1991, while preparations were underway for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the US, New York hosted the preliminary qualifying draw at Madison Square Garden.
That event set the stage for one of the most unlikely small-town soccer stories Weston, Connecticut, can ever claim.
At the time I was part of the 1994 New York Bid Committee. I also helped host the qualifying draw in New York. FIFA brought the World Cup trophy to the city for that event.
Then came an unexpected request. Rather than leave the trophy in a hotel, FIFA asked me to look after it for a couple of days.
So, for a brief stretch, the most famous prize in world sport made its way from Manhattan to my home in Weston.
The World Cup trophy is no ordinary object. The current one — introduced in 1974 — stands 1 foot 2 inches tall, weighs 13.6 pounds, and is made of 18-carat gold with malachite bands on its base.
FIFA keeps the original trophy under its control. Winners receive a replica.
That is what makes the memory so striking. Today, the trophy is handled under tight security, and is surrounded by layers of ceremony.
In 1991 though, there was still enough trust and informality for it to spend a couple of quiet days in suburban Connecticut.
Joe Pierce in Weston, with the World Cup trophy.
I decided to share the moment in the best possible way. I invited my 8-year-old son’s Weston youth soccer team over for a photograph with the real World Cup trophy.
Somewhere, those pictures still exist.
The children in them are adults now, scattered all around the world and living their own lives.
But each photograph preserves a story that would be almost impossible today: a group of local kids in Weston, Connecticut, standing with the real FIFA World Cup trophy.
Then and now, they are able to say that for one unforgettable moment, the World Cup came to their town.
(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — and Weston meets the World Cup. If you enjoy this story — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Scott Brodie remembers those early technology days too. The 1970 Staples High School graduate writes:
Early in the “Harry Potter” series, as Harry ships off to Hogwarts for the first time, he stops by Ollivanders to purchase his first magic wand (rather, it chooses him).
It was much the same as a student at Staples in the 1960s. During the first week of Chemistry class, students took a few days out of memorizing oxidation states and valences to learn how to use a “slide rule” – a 17th-century contrivance which facilitated multiplication and division, even trigonometry.
Like Harry’s wand it came in a long, thin, dusty box, and was considered a major purchase on the way to competence in math and science.
A Pickett Model N3-ES slide rule just like mine, bought in 1967, with its leather case. The rule is set to perform multiplications by a factor of 1.25 (for example, 4.00 x 1.25 = 5.00). Scales on this side of the rule provide for calculations of products, quotients, reciprocals, squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots, sines, cosines, tangents, and inverse trig functions. Logarithms and exponentials were available on the other side. No batteries needed.
A slide rule was a major purchase – equivalent to several weeks of one’s weekly allowance. Many of us went downtown to buy one at Klein’s or Fine Arts with our dads.
A good slide rule was expected to carry a serious STEM student through high school, college, maybe even graduate school. We tracked our progress in math and physics as we learned to understand the various slide rule scales.
I still have mine. With no batteries to go dead or worries about holding a charge, it still works as perfectly as the day it was new.
Computation had made little progress since the invention of logarithms and the slide rule (based on them) in the 1600s. They were the mainstay of most routine calculations in the design of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft that took Americans to the moon by 1969.
Accountants used simple 10-key adding machines. A few mechanical “calculators” — noisy boxes full of whirring gears — could multiply and, with luck, perform division.
But these were frightfully expensive, and available only in laboratories like Los Alamos, where the first atomic bombs were built. So we made do with slide rules, and tables of the values of the trigonometric functions.
State-of-the-art calculation in the early 1960s: (left) a Gilbert 10-key adding machine. With tedious effort, it could also multiply. Right: This Marchant desktop calculator could add, subtract, multiply and divide. The “carriage” at the top shifted left and right to provide for place value.
The first whiff of digital computers for students’ use arrived at Staples around 1968, in the form of a noisy Model 33 Teletype.
(Staples had a room full of IBM “tabulating” machines, next to the typing classroom – large devices, about the size of a sofa, which could sort punched cards, and perform simple arithmetic and printouts. They were used for scheduling, and printing student schedules and report cards. Students were not allowed anywhere near them.)
The Model 33 Teletype banged out 10 characters per second, and communicated with a time-sharing mainframe computer at the University of Bridgeport.
It provided access to the BASIC programming language. Programs were stored on strips of punched paper tape, which could be re-read into the terminal for later use.
It was connected to the mainframe by an acoustic coupler modem. Users dialed the computer’s phone number, listened for the characteristic high-pitched sound of data coming down the phone lie, and placed the handset of the telephone on the connecting device.
Staples’ subscription provided for only a few hours of use each week – not nearly enough. Something else had to be found to address the growing interest in learning to use computers.
AT&T Model 33 Teletype computer terminal (left). The paper tape punch and reader is on the left side of the keyboard. Acoustic coupler modem (right). After dialing up a remote mainframe computer, the handset was placed on the device to pass signals back and forth, at a maximum rate of 10 characters per second.
The answer came in a new, state-of-the-art “programmable calculator”: the HP 9100A from Hewlett-Packard. A self-contained device, about the size of an IBM Selectric typewriter with about 65 keys, it allowed for data entry, storage and retrieval of a handful of 10-digit numeric values.
Unlike other electronic calculators of the day, it could compute trig functions and their inverses, and – uniquely – it provided logic functions, permitting creation of programs that could make decisions depending on previous results.
In 1968 it cost about $4,900 (perhaps the equivalent of $45,000 today). But it was “ours” – available to any and all in math classes, during free periods and after school, without time limits.
The next year the HP 9125a flat-bed plotter became available, allowing creation of high-quality graphics output.
Hewlett-Packard programmable calculator, model HP 9100A (right); associated HP 9125a flat-bed plotter (left).
We tried to outdo each other devising new and engaging applications, including solving surveying problems, calculations of trajectories and orbits, plotting theoretical curves of interest, and studying convergence of infinite series.
In 1972 Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP-35, the first pocket-sized “scientific” calculator. It was a miniaturized version of the HP-9100a, but without the programmable logic.
It sold for $395, still an astronomical sum for most all students (equivalent to about $3,000 today).
By 1974 knock-offs became available for $100. Slide rules became obsolete almost overnight.
By 1976, the cost of a “scientific” calculator was down to $25. The last high-quality slide rules were made in the late 1970s.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
And if life hands you antisemitism, make shawarma.
Last month, someone across from The Blondinit restaurant yelled “F— Israel! You’re committing genocide” as Jonny Daniels left the Israeli restaurant. He posted about the incident on social media. The video went viral.
Now, The Blondinit invites the community to come together on Thursday (June 11) for “Stars, Stripes & Shawarma.”
The day and evening are dedicated to raising awareness about antisemitism, and its growing impact it on communities here and abroad.
Daniels — a British-Israeli activist and advocate for Jewish communities and the State of Israel — will be at the event.
Organizers say, “While the incident was deeply troubling, it also sparked a conversation about the importance of education, dialogue, and community engagement in confronting hatred and misinformation.
“Rather than allowing the moment to divide, The Blondinit and Daniels chose to transform it into an opportunity to bring people together, raise awareness, and support organizations dedicated to preserving Jewish history and combating antisemitism.”
Guests are encouraged to gather with friends and family for dinner at The Blondinit. Daniels will discuss modern antisemitism, the importance of education and remembrance, and the need for meaningful conversations rooted in understanding and humanity.
A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the day will be donated to From The Depths, an international organization dedicated to Holocaust remembrance, Jewish heritage preservation, education and humanitarian initiatives.
Shonda Rhimes gives plenty to Westport. She supports many great causes — some publicly, others behind the scenes.
We’re in good company.
She’s just given something to the Obama Presidential Center Museum: the Oval Office set from “Scandal.”
It’s the same one — noted here and below in this Bluesky post — used by “President Fitzgerald Grant” for 7 seasons.
Not gonna lie, this is a badass museum donation.🇺🇸 Shonda Rhimes donated the Oval Office set from Scandal, the same one fictional President Fitzgerald Grant called home for seven seasons.Now it’s part of the Obama Presidential Center Museum
The Long Lots School Building Committee offers a presentation of the elementary school and Stepping Stones pre-school project next Wednesday (June 10, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
The opening date has been pushed back to January 2028.
Artist’s rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
For many people, the Westport Library is a home away from home.
And “home” is the theme, as Storytelling Sundays returns to the Library on June 28 (2 p.m.).
Five great storytellers will share their interpretations of home: Jennifer Munro, a National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence recipient; Nina Lesiga, Women’s Storytelling Festival and Generation Women participant; Wendy Mages, professor at Mercy University; Rona Levine, yoga teacher, energy healer, and herbalist, and ChaChanna Simpson, curator, host and writer. For more information, click here.
Also at the Westport Library: a Pride Month combination of stand-up comedy and life story, on the big screen.
“Miss Personality: An Evening of Big Laughs, Big Heart & Big PRIDE” (June 18, 6:30 p.m.) with Mina Hartong is “a hilarious and heartfelt look at identity, reinvention, community, and finding your voice.”
Following the screening, Mina will join writer Susan Rukeyser and comedian/ activist Jamie Machotka in a conversation about storytelling, comedy and LGBTQ+ experiences. Click here for more information.
Westonite Chris Fuller’s “Cheese Fries & Chili Dips” — a moving and hilarious 2-person cabaret-style show — comes to the Westport Woman’s Club next Friday (June 12, 5:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 show).
The production follows Chris as he chases his lifelong dream of playing on the PGA Tour while navigating the challenges of bipolar disorder, and the nonstop commentary inside his own head.
A talkback immediately after the show with mental health experts will focus on healing, and breaking stigmas.
In 1993, Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella’s cousin John DiGiovanni was killed in the first World Trade Center bombing.
Yesterday — in the aftermath of the victory by New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon whose life-saving work in the Army has been contrasted with his former association with a Muslim cleric who masterminded the attack — Colabella was interviewed on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus.”
He called Hamawy’s victory “a disheartening threat to democracy,” and “an insult to injury” for victims’ families. Click here for the full segment.
Screenshot of Andrew Colabella on Fox News.
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“Looking for History: Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey & Michael Borders” — MoCA\CT’s next exhibit, exploring how history is remembered, imagined and contested through monument, memory, and labor — arrives just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.
An opening reception — celebrating Shaefer’s “Colossi” and Harvey’s “The Disappointed Tourist” — is set for June 25 (6 p.m.).
Three days later (June 24, 6 p.m.), the Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Club selections are — discusses selections about fathers and children. They are “Midair” by Frank Conroy, “Today Will Be a Quiet Day” (Amy Hempel) and “The Hare’s Mask” (Mark Slouka).
Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
“Stressed Self to Best Self” — co-written by Westport author Nick Propper — will be published in October.
But it’s already available for pre-order.
Propper works with senior leadership teams at leading organizations like Procter & Gamble and Goldman Sachs. He is also a high-level advisor and facilitator in the US Air Force and federal intelligence community, on building sustainable human performance.
The book focuses on “how to show up at our best, for the people and things that matter most to us, in today’s highly volatile world.” It introduces practical frameworks and tools to help readers manage stress, recover more intentionally and optimize their human energy. Click here for more information, and to order.
And finally … on this date in 1968, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was killed.
That night, he won both the California and South Dakota primaries. He told supporters in Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel ballroom, “My thanks to all of you, and it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there.”
Walking through the kitchen, he was shot 3 times by 24-year-old Sirhan Sirhan. Five other people were also wounded. Kennedy died 25 hours later.
“No Kings” rallies in Westport — and weekly protests on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge — have drawn plenty of people, and attention.
But there are questions too. Like: “What’s next?”
Flags flew at October’s “No Kings” rally. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Last month, a group of residents — including Congressman Jim Himes, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas and actor James Naughton — met at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport to discuss an answer.
The “What’s Next” organizers describe themselves as “a local pro-democracy community group that believes in free and fair elections for all citizens.” Members include Monique Bosch, Miggs Burroughs, Kenny Epstein, Linda Franciscovich, Dalma Heyn, Dan Levinson, Dede & Tony McDowell, Jonathan Steinberg and Stephanie Weiner.
Levinson said, “We left April ‘No Kings’ energized and wanting to take action. But we were lost as to how.
“In Westport, we feel we can do more than march, vote and donate. So our team came together to experiment around creative local projects and events that might have wider impact.
“Our goal is to do our part to help save our democracy, with the immediate focus on the November elections. The launch event last month was well attended, with great energy. Future events will follow.
“We are a grassroots, informal crew. Suggestions are always welcome.”
Their next event — “What’s Next? From Protests to Projects 2.0” — is June 18 (5 p.m., Saugatuck Congregational Church). They’ll learn about several organizations working to increase voter turnout, and ensure fairness, in November.
Calling it “another upbeat, informal, fun and productive reception bringing together people who want to engage with friends and neighbors to make a difference,” they’ve invited Bryan Mattimore to help attendees “uncover unexpected creative ways to get involved.”
Co=founder of the Norwalk-based Growth Engine Company (www.growth-engine.com) innovation agency, he has facilitated over 1,000 brainstorming sessions. Mattimore managed over 200 innovation projects, leading to over $3 billion in new sales for Fortune 500 clients including Kraft, Unilever, Ford, BNY Mellon, LVMH, Merck, and Pepsi.
A state Superior Court judge has upheld the Westport Planning & Commission’s denial of a proposal to move into the former Bank of America building next to Starbucks, on Post Road East.
The P&Z decision was based on insufficient parking — 24 spaces, instead of the required 32.4 — and traffic concerns, including cars backed up on the Post Road for the coffee chain’s drive-thru. The school — proposed over a year ago — would have served 124 children, infants through kindergarteners.
Director of Human Resources Candice Holley has resigned, for personal and family reasons.
She said, “I truly appreciated the opportunity to work with town leadership in both administrations, town employees, and the broader Westport community. Westport will always remain close to my heart.”
1st Selectman Kevin Christie said, “We wish her well in her future endeavors.”
Candice Holley
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When Dave Goldshore stepped down as Staples High School boys basketball coach this spring, his replacement was not far away.
Yesterday, athletic director VJ Sarullo announced that Joe Black will lead the Wreckers next winter.
He began his high school coaching career at Fairfield Warde High School, then joined the Wreckers in 2023. He also works with the Westport PAL program.
At Staples, Black — the varsity defensive strategist — played a key role in helping earn back-to-back FCIAC championships.
He graduated in 2016 with a marketing and management degree from Fairfield University. Black is now is a senior coordinator at Neptune Retailer Solutions. He lives in Fairfield with his wife Marissa (also a Westport PAL basketball coach).
Sarullo says, “While his basketball knowledge, preparation and strategic approach were evident throughout the interview process, what impressed the hiring committee most was his unwavering commitment to serving as a positive role model for student-athletes. Coach Black’s vision for the program is one that represents Staples High School with pride, integrity, and excellence both on and off the court.”
Joe Black
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Every graduation is special.
For 2 Westport twins, last Friday’s Greens Farms Academy commencement was extra special.
Danya and Evie Herman were valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2026.
In her address to 97 classmates, Danya reflected on the experiences, friendships and growth that shaped them all. Evie welcomed guests, on behalf of the graduates.
The ceremony featured remarks from actor/director/producer Jensen Ackles (“Supernatural,” “Days of Our Lives”). He spoke about perseverance, pursuing passions, building a life of purpose, embracing challenges, and recognizing that success often comes from resilience and determination.
Speaking of changes: Here’s a visual representation of Westport today:
(Photo/Leigh Gage)
One house (foreground) was torn down yesterday, on Manitou Road.
Behind it, on a neighboring lot, a new home rises.
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Two more tournaments — mahjong and canasta — have been added to the Westport Country Playhouse’s 3rd annual golf tournament. The event is June 15, at Birchwood Country Club.
The golf event (7:30 a.m.) includes 9 or 18 holes; light breakfast, buffet lunch, cocktails, on-course drinks and afternoon reception; cart rental; access to the locker room and facilities, driving range, and practice putting green, and contests to win Playhouse season tickets and pro shop credits.
The mahjong and canasta tourneys (9:30 a.m.( includes a light breakfast, buffet lunch, cocktails and afternoon reception, plus the chance to win Playhouse season tickets and other prizes. Guests can create their own foursome, or come as a pair or solo and be matched with others.
The tastiest fundraiser of the year — CLASP’s “Taste of Westport” — fed and slaked the thirst of several hundred guests last night.
The 20th annual event — benefiting the non-profit that houses and supports individuals with autism and developmental disabilities — had a new venue (the Fairfield County Hunt Club, while the Inn at Longshore is under renovation).
There were a few new restaurants and vendors, and many familiar ones. Thanks to all who donated food and drinks, along with staff, for a very good cause: Anan, Artisan, Barcelona, The Blondinit, Black Bear Wine & Spirits, Bridgewater Chocolates, Blue + Berries, The Bridge at Saugatuck, Boathouse, Eder Bros., Dandelion, Chopin Vodka, Gloria Ferrer, Magic Pie Co., Korbel, Gruel Britannia, Gabriele’s, Grumpy Dumpling Co., Massi Co, Moet & Crandon Champagne, Nômade, Oggi Gelato, Nordic Fish, Rive Bistro, Tarantino, Rizzuto’s Romanacci Pizza Bar, The Whelk, Woodford Reserve and Yuzu.
The Bridge at Saugatuck — one of 30 tasting stations. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Four great volunteers and organizations were honored with Westport Community Service Awards on Tuesday:
Jocelyn Baraniaran, Westport Book Sales Ventures presisdent
Dave Matlow, Westport documentary photographer
Westport Police Athletic League
Staples Tuition Grants.
The Rotarians also presented Public Protection Awards to members of the Westport Police and Fire Departments. Deputy fire marshal Dan Mascolo and firefighter Pete Nichio earned a Public Safety Award, for their work building and maintaining the Fire Department’s Peer Support Team.
Rotarians and honorees (from left): Rick Benson, Jim Marpe, Ruairi Powers, Jocelyn Barandiarian, Peter Helt, Leslie Roberts, Bob Wickey, Dave Matlow, Kevin Christie, Craig Mergamo, Maggie Hudson Blau, Pat Carey. (Photo/Rady Johnson)
Westport Rotary Club president Peter Helt and Deputy Police Chief David Wolf, and officers honored with Public Protection Award certificates. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
From right: Rotary president Peter Helt, Fire Chief Nicholas Marsan, Dan Mascolo and Pete Nichio with their awards. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
Now that can do it in a good way. The Northeast Occultation Network — a student astronomy research program — is accepting applications for its next research cohort, at the Westport Observatory.
Curious students, from beginners to advanced, will join NEON’s research team to contribute real data to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The program, guided by University of New Haven astrophysicist Dr. Kevin Green, covers everything from basic telescope operation to capturing high-precision data from asteroid occultations. Sessions are held from 8 to 10 p.m. For more information and to apply, click here.
Westport Police made 5 custodial arrests between May 27 and June 2.
Three Bridgeport women, ages 21, 25 and 26, were charged with larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny, following an investigation into alleged shoplifting at the Gap. An eyewitness told an officer they had just observed 3 women run out of Lululemon, carrying multiple items, and described the vehicle they entered. It was observed soon after on the Sherwood Island connector, and stopped. Lululemon clothing with a value of $2,838 was in the vehicle. All 3 posted bonds of $3,000, $7,500 and $7,500.
A 43-year-old Westport man was charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs and failure to drive in the proper lane, following a single vehicle accident at the Hillandale Road/Wakeman Road intersection. The driver struck a mailbox and fire hydrant, before hitting a tree that snapped and damaged a fence. He was released on a $500 bond.
A 38-year-old Bronx man was charged with 2 counts of failure to appear, and violation of probation, after being held at Rikers Island. He ws unable to post a a $159,500 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 18 citations
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 10
Failure to obey stop sign: 6
Distracted driving: 5
Failure to renew registration: 3
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Texting while driving: 2
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
School zone violation, 2nd offense: 1
Speeding: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Driving with a foreign license more than 60 days: 1
Failure to carry registration/insurance card: 1
Leaving a motor vehicle without setting brake: 1
Driving wrong way on a 1-way street: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Illegal operation of a motor vehicle on rapid transit road: 1
Defective windshield wiper: 1
Violation of tinted glass requirements: 1
Failure to set a car brake can lead to a citation.
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Before the full moon becomes too un-full, we’ve got this great “Westport … Naturally” image, from Schlaet’s Point:
It’s hard for many people to understand resistance to vaccines.
Why would anyone oppose preventing a preventable disease — for themselves, their child, or the community at large?
Kira Ganga Kieffer understands.
She’s not an anti-vaxxer, or a vaccine skeptic. She went through the Westport schools, from 1st grade through Staples High’s Class of 2004. She graduated from Brown University, then earned a Ph.D at Boston University.
Dr. Kira Ganga Kieffer
Now Dr. Kieffer is back in Westport, married to classmate Aaron Eisman (who begins a medical fellowship in cardiology at Yale next month). She is a visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Fairfield University, after teaching stints at BU, the University of Vermont and Wesleyan University
She studied American history and religion in college. Her honors thesis was an ethnographic study of 2 evangelical churches in Rhode Island. Kieffer sees vaccine hesitancy through the lens of religion.
It’s a nuanced view. She explains it in her new book, “Unvaccinated Under God,” tying debates over vaccine safety and mandatory vaccinations into “existential concerns about justice and morality.”
Kieffer says that vaccine hesitancy can be a religious expression — not the product of scientific misinformation.
She offers her insights at 7 p.m. tonight, in a Westport Library discussion with fellow Staples and Brown graduate, primary care physician Dr. Caroline Andrew.
It’s part of the “Saugatuck Scribes” series, spotlighting Westport authors.
The book’s genesis dates back nearly a decade. Kieffer was studying alternative health in contemporary America, and looking as far back as smallpox. Her advisor — knowing Kieffer’s interest in religion — suggested examining the subject from that angle.
When COVID hit, Kieffer published an article on how a vaccine rollout — still in the future — might be difficult. A religion editor tracked her down, and asked if she could turn it into her book.
The result — “Unvaccinated Under God” — was published this week.
“I want people to think about vaccine hesitancy and refusal not as scientific illiteracy or ignorance, but as innate religiousness,” Kieffer says. “Fear of vaccines can be transformative.”
By not addressing the religious component, she adds, “we’re not moving the needle” among people who distrust the medical establishment. “We need to understand where they’re coming from.”
That means “speaking more of their language, about their fears — without making them feel talked down to.”
There have been 6 vaccine controversies since the 1980s, Kieffer says. They involved issues like mothering; what one puts into one’s body; authority and politics — along with religious freedom.
Readers have been surprised at how “even-handed” her book is, Kieffer says. As vaccination debates are politicized by “both sides,” she hopes that “people in public health, medicine and on the liberal side will change their tone or attitude to people they see as non-compliant, to win their trust back.”
Pins like these may not be the best way to reach vaccine-hesitant people.
Many pediatric practices will not accept patients whose parents refuse full vaccinations, Kieffer notes.
The need to protect other patients is “totally understandable. But it shoves people away, to fringier medical providers who give them more reasons not to get vaccinated.
“The ‘believe in science’ banner of liberals and progressives in the culture wars can be reductive. It pushes people away. ‘Belief’ is a religious term.”
Meanwhile, measles cases are on the rise. The number of children entering kindergarten without measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are rising too.
Vaccines are crucial. But reaching vaccine-hesitant people by understanding their feelings — and addressing their fears and concerns, in a belief-centered, religious realm — is crucial too.
(“06880” often spotlights interesting Westporters, addressing important topics. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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“I want people to think about vaccine hesitancy and refusal not as scientific illiteracy or ignorance, but as innate religiousness,” Kieffer says. “Fear of vaccines can be transformative.”
