Life Became Very Blurry Oral Histories by Chapter

A major component of the Collecting COVID-19: A Vermont Story project was the publication of a book, Life Became Very Blurry: An Oral History of COVID-19 in Vermont, edited by Garrett M. Graff. This volume draws on the more than 100 oral histories that VHS collected between 2022 and 2024, and is organized along a range of themes that explores the experiences of Vermonters during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Life Became Very Blurry distills those interviews into a single volume: each person featured in the book provided a much longer interview, and those records are available online to read and listen to through our online database, Digital Vermont. We've organized and linked the interviews in the order that they appear in each chapter of the book so that you can find and listen to the speakers in their own voices, and listen to other individuals whose stories didn't make it into the volume. 

Note: as of May 21st, 2025, we're still in the process of uploading the interviews. Check back later as we add more. 

Part 1: Vermont Faces a Pandemic

Chapter 1: The State Responds

• Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, pastor, Church of the Good Shepherd, Barre
• Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, chair, House Government Operations Committee
• Monica Raymond, nurse epidemiologist, infection prevention, University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC)
• Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner, Vermont Department of Health
• Helen Reid, acting laboratory director, Vermont Department of Health
• Sen. Becca Balint, Vermont Senate majority leader
• Mike Pieciak, commissioner, Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
• Dan Daltry, infectious disease program manager, Vermont Department of Health
• Whitney Smith, nurse midwife, University of Vermont Medical Center
• Erin Petenko, data and graphics reporter, VTDigger
• Calvin Cutler, political reporter, WCAX
• Neale Lunderville, special Covid emergency response advisor to Governor Phil Scott
• Jane Lindholm, host, Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio
• Rep. Mitzi Johnson, speaker of the Vermont House
• Rep. Jill Krowinski, majority leader, Vermont House
• Caitlin Moroney, contact tracer, Vermont Department of Health

Chapter 2: The Legislature Responds

• Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, chair, Vermont House Government, Operations Committee
• Rep. Jill Krowinski, majority leader, Vermont House
• Rep. Mitzi Johnson, speaker of the Vermont House
• Sen. Becca Balint, majority leader, Vermont Senate
• Rep. Anne Donahue, member, Vermont House Rules Committee

Chapter 3: Feeding Vermont in a Pandemic

• John Sayles, CEO, Vermont Foodbank
• Faye Longo, 3SquaresVT outreach coordinator
• Sara Whitehair, coordinator, Vermont Fresh
• Genna Williams, branch manager, Rutland Distribution Center, Vermont Foodbank
• Calvin Cutler, political reporter, WCAX

Part II : Treating Covid

Chapter 4: Caring for Vermont

• Nathan Howell, critical care nurse, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT
• Monica Raymond, nurse epidemiologist, Infection Prevention, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT
• Denise Hartman, nursing home physical therapist, West Brookfield, VT
• Dr. Ellen Gnaedinger, pediatric nurse practitioner, South Royalton Health Center, South Royalton, VT
• Nathalie Hebert, nurse practitioner, Good Neighbor Health Clinic, Hartford, VT
• Cindy Wamsganz, nurse, UVM Medical Center, Burlington, VT
• Amy Wenger, maternal child clinical nurse manager, Franklin County Home Health Agency, St. Albans, VT
• Dr. Sandy Reider, Lyndonville, VT

Chapter 5: Inside Converse Home

• Kelly DeCicco, co-executive director, Converse Home
• Eileen Curtis, director of nursing, Converse Home
• Mary Fitzgerald, resident, Converse Home
• Marilyn Van Graber, resident, Converse Home
• Jane Trevaskis, resident, Converse Home
• Chapter 6: Covid Positive
• Gwen Louise Tuson, tax preparer, White River Junction, VT
• Kate Whelley McCabe, CEO, Vermont Evaporator Company, Montpelier, VT

Part III : Covid Times

Chapter 7: Small Towns

• Forrest Holzapfel, Marlboro, VT
• Andrea Howe, Marlboro, VT
• Linda Peters, Marlboro, VT
• William F. V. “Bill” Moore III, Brandon, VT
• Colleen Wright, Brandon, VT
• Susan Gage, Brandon, VT

Chapter 8: Faith

• Jen Mihok, pastor, United Church of Underhill, Underhill, VT
• Rae Fraumann, pastor, Hedding United Methodist Church, Barre, VT
• Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, pastor, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Barre, VT
• Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont
• Taysir al-Khatib, founder and chairman, board of trustees, Islamic Society of Vermont, Essex Junction, VT

Chapter 9: Family

• Peggy Dunphy, Lyndon, VT
• Jana Zeller, artist, Brattleboro, VT
• Whitney Smith, nurse midwife, University of Vermont Medical Center
• Lauren Bode, pharmacist, St. Albans City, VT
• Becca Balint, parent, Brattleboro, VT
• Jane Lindholm, host, Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio
• Jen Mihok, parent, Underhill, VT

Chapter 10: Working During a Pandemic

• Rep. Peter Welch, member of Congress, Vermont-At Large (D), US House of Representatives
• Uriel Najera, resident artist, Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, VT
• Hans van Wees, general manager, Hotel Vermont and the Courtyard Burlington Harbor, Burlington, VT
• Peggy Dunphy, hairdresser, Lyndonville, VT
• Eric Rossier, trailer-truck driver, Timberland Distribution
• Luke Young, St. Johnsbury, VT
• Sarah Ward, Child Welfare Training Partnership, University of Vermont
• Tom McMurdo, assistant state librarian for information and access, Vermont Department of Libraries
• Katharine Noiva, guide and volunteer coordinator, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT
• Paula Routly and Cathy Resmer, publisher and deputy publisher, Seven Days News, Burlington, VT

Chapter 11: Community

• Greg Stefanski, Lamoille area manager, Capstone Community Action, Morrisville, VT
• John and Michele Pagan, East Dorset, VT
• Jean Carr, director, Vernon Free Library, Vernon, VT
• Sharon Ellingwood-White, librarian, Alice Ward Memorial Library (Canaan, VT), Lemington, VT
• Molly Stone, artistic director, Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT
• Sue Fillion, planning director, Town of Brattleboro, VT
• Tim Arsenault, town clerk, Vernon, VT
• Catherine Hays, director, Bixby Memorial Free Library, Vergennes, VT
• Don Cuerdon, mental health counselor, Brattleboro, VT
• Amy Hornblas, health educator, St. Johnsbury School District, Cabot, VT
• Justin Marsh, communication and development director, Pride Center of Vermont
• Paul Costello, executive director, Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), Montpelier, VT

Chapter 12: School

• Nicky Patterson, third-grade teacher, St. Albans Town Education Center
• Brooke Paxton, K–8 school counselor, Flood Brook School, Londonderry, VT
• Meg Allison, librarian, U-32 Middle and High School, East Montpelier, VT
• Becca McCray, nurse, Burlington School District, Burlington, VT
• Torrelee Fischer-Sass, reading specialist, Richmond Middle School, Hanover, NH
• Emily Demers, junior, St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury, VT
• Nina Neptune, senior, Green Mountain Union High School, Chester, VT
• Rae Frauman, parent, Burlington, VT
• Freya Snyder
• John Alberghini, superintendent of schools, Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District, Jericho, V
• Col. Mark Anarumo, president, Norwich University, Northfield, VT

Chapter 13: The Vaccines

• Mike Pieciak, commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation, State of Vermont
• Belan Antensaye, analyst, Racial Equity Office, City of Burlington
• Wei Wei Wang, Vermont Professionals of Color Network
• Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont
• Emily Demers, junior, St. Johnsbury Academy
• Dr. Opeyemi Parham, retired family physician, East Montpelier, VT
• Jack Watts
• Melissa Seifert, substitute teacher, Twinfield Union High School, Plainfield, VT
• Georgiana Carr, Canaan, VT
• Janette Shaffer, Vermont Department of Libraries
• Tim Arsenault, town clerk, Vernon, VT
• Uriel Najera, resident artist, Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, VT
• Tom Kelly, deputy state’s attorney, Lamoille County

Chapter 14: How We Changed

• Whitney Smith, nurse midwife, University of Vermont Medical Center
• Eric Rossier, trailer truck driver, Timberland Distribution
• Helen Reid, acting laboratory director, Vermont Department of Health
• Eileen Curtis, director of nursing, Converse Home, Burlington , VT
• Luke Young, student, Lyndonville, VT
• April Shaw, librarian of government services, Vermont Department of Libraries
• Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, pastor, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Barre, VT
• Jeannie Lindheim, Woodstock, VT
• Jen Mihok, pastor, United Church of Underhill, Underhill, VT
• Erin Petenko, data and graphics reporter, VTDigger
• Melissa Seifert, substitute teacher, Twinfield Union High School, Plainfield, VT
• Forrest Holzapfel, town clerk, Marlboro, VT
• Jane Lindholm, host, Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio
• Rae Fraumann, pastor, Hedding United Methodist Church, Barre VT
• Mike Pieciak, commissioner, Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
• Neale Lunderville, CEO, Vermont Gas Systems (VGS)
• Wei Wei Wang, Vermont Professionals of Color Network
• Faye Longo, 3SquaresVT outreach coordinator
• Jonathan West, software developer, Manchester, VT
• Sara Whitehair, coordinator, Vermont Fresh
• Katharine Noiva, guide and volunteer coordinator, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne VT
• Dr. Opeyemi Parham, retired family physician, East Montpelier, VT
• Sally Blanchard O’Brien, Burlington, VT
• Simone Arnold, mental health counselor
• Dr. Ellen Gnaedinger, pediatric nurse practitioner, South Royalton Health Center, South Royalton, VT
• Dan Daltry, infectious disease program manager, Vermont Department of Health
• Belan Antensaye, analyst, Racial Equity Office, City of Burlington
• Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner, Vermont Department of Health
• Caitlin Moroney, contact tracer, Vermont Department of Health
• John Sayles, director, Vermont Foodbank
• Denise Hartman, physical therapist, West Brookfield, VT