Writing

A SECOND DRAFT: Szymanski Will Repeat as E.C. Writer in Residence

longtime local writer, educator to serve second term as city’s literary ambassador

Carlee Shimek, photos by Justin Patchin |

MUNICIPAL WORDSMITH. Ken Szymanski during a reading at the Volume One Gallery.
MUNICIPAL WORDSMITH. Ken Szymanski during a reading at the Volume One Gallery.

Congratulations to Ken Szymanski for being chosen as Eau Claire’s official Writer in Residence for a second consecutive term. The Writer in Residence – chosen by the Pablo Center’s Local Artist Advisory Committee and appointed by the Eau Claire City Council – is a two-year honorary position meant to promote and support the literary culture of Eau Claire. Szymanski, an English teacher at DeLong Middle School, seems more than suitable for the responsibility. 

Szymanski has been writing about Eau Claire since the 1980s, with many bylines in Volume One and the Leader-Telegram, published a nonfiction collection about Eau Claire called Home Field Advantage, and produces Snapshots, a YouTube series which combines music, writing, and photography to promote Eau Claire art.

Since his first stint as Writer in Residence aligned with the pandemic, in the coming two years Szymanski plans to host more in-person events for the community, from libraries to the Pablo Center to less conventional locations. He hopes to incorporate more music into upcoming literary events, combining both arts’ strengths for an uplifting experience. 

“Over the next two years, I will continue to write about Eau Claire and promote the act of writing,” Szymanski said. “It has the power to build and celebrate our community, one shared story at a time.”

To learn more about Szymanski, visit kenszymanski.com.