Editor’s Letter: Hello Again

Hello Again

Hello, Westport, Weston, Wilton and Fairfield! You must be wondering who Moffly Publications has asked to be the new editor of your town magazine. Truth is, we already know each other.

I started with Westport Magazine seven years ago and have worked, shall we say, a little behind the scenes as managing editor. I took the job back then because I already knew and loved the area. I had worked for other publications in Westport for many more years than I’ll confess right now, and on my off-hours, I could be found visiting friends or running a loop around Compo. 

Now with a few years at the magazine, my connection to this area has only deepened. I’ve had the privilege of meeting wonderful people and hearing stories that simply had to be told in our pages.

Many people come to mind. One is Martha Gesswein. I wrote a story about her breathtaking Sasco Hill property. When I asked for a photograph, she pulled out an envelope and handed over several prints, then she jumped on the computer to track down the digital files. She swirled in her home-office chair for this, tapped away on the computer for that, and fielded calls from her family, associates, and committee members. Still, our conversation flowed easily from writing, photography and gardening to ambitious projects we each planned for the future.

I’ll also never forget the honesty Westporter Michael Greenberg bared in his book Why My Wife Thinks I’m an Idiot. I was struck particularly by the passage that describes when his daughter no longer needed him for her swim class at the YMCA. He sat on the step, overcome with emotion. Self-deprecating humor was shelved, and he shared a personal, endearing moment. When I later met him on a photo shoot, he was gracious and funny.

Then there was the time that I enjoyed a game of Simon Says for ages 3 to 103 at Compo Beach. I was caught in error, but sportscasting legend Jim Nantz, who was calling the instructions, said I was a good sport. I was thrilled. When Jim Nantz calls you that, you know you’re getting it from the authority. 

Of course, Westporter and Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro (see our February issue) also unknowingly offered a lesson: Success comes to those who have self-confidence, business savvy  and charm in abundance — but you also have to have the grit to follow your gut. I love that family is a priority in his life, too.

Last, and certainly not least, are the artists and designers I’ve met: Leonard Everett Fisher, Charles Reid, Daryl Hawk, and so many others. All humble about a gift so great and rare. They provide an essential voice, a chance to see things differently. These towns wouldn’t be the same without them.

The way I see it, every life led, every point of view, evolves the story of this community.
This magazine is about and for you — and I can’t wait to publish more of what really matters to you.

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