By McKenna Dutton
For some, “family” has an enduring meaning. For others, “family” might feel distant. Whether your family is blood or found, everyone needs one and it’s nice to know where you come from. That’s what motivated the Eau Claire writer-in-residence Ken Szymanski to learn about his late grandfather Mike Teclaw. Before Szymanski was born his grandpa Teclaw passed away. Later in life, Szymanski’s son was born around the same time his own father passed away. Szymanski knew he wanted his son to better understand his late father in the same way he wanted to better understand his late grandfather. Ken grew curious about the infamous grandfather he never knew, and over the years, he began collecting stories from family members and friends. So many that he wrote an unauthorized biography of the grandfather he never met.
“It took a long time,” Szymanski says of the project. “-My son was born sixteen years ago and that’s when I started… I thought only my relatives would be interested in this, but I showed it to someone outside of the family and she said this is really interesting. There was a more universal appeal than just my family,” Szymanski says.
Over time, Szymanski realized this story was too big to be told on the page. That’s where musician Derick Black came into the picture. Szymanski and Black met through their mutual passion for teaching. When Szymanski pitched the idea of creating his manuscript into a live reading with music, Black was skeptical.
“When Ken originally pitched the idea to me I thought, ‘“So I’m kinda like the commercial between the different acts of your story.’”
Szymanski clarified that the music was, in fact, foundational to the story. After a bit of practice, the pair found their groove, with the words and music complementing each other.
“It’s a pretty cool marriage between the two,” Black says.
“Searching for Mike Teclaw” is a celebration of life to the people we call family. Those we know now, and those we wish we could’ve known better.
““What I’m doing with these types of stories is a form of genealogy.””
“What I’m doing with these types of stories is a form of genealogy,” Szymanski says, “Instead of just the names and dates [I] find the stories behind [them]. The stories of [peoples] lives are what should be worth searching for and I hope people reflect on their own grandparents and their own ancestors… If the person isn’t around or if they never met them it’s still not too late to get to know them and discover their story,” Szymanski says.
“Searching for Mike Teclaw: An Unauthorized Biography” will be performed live on April 20th, 6:30-7:30 in the Riverview Room at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. Come for a great show and leave inspired to explore what family means to you.