The West Bend Current

By Cassie Jerich, Current Staff

A New York Times bestselling author is coming to West Bend.

On Thursday, students will have the opportunity to hear from Michael Patrick MacDonald, author of the book “All Souls: A Family Story from Southie,” a memoir about his life growing up in South Boston in the 1970s. The talk will take place during periods 2 and 3 in the Silver Lining Arts Center.

But how did he end up coming to the small city of West Bend? It turns out that a local teacher knows him personally.

MacDonald agreed to come to Wisconsin because he is friends with Mike Driscoll, an English teacher at West Bend East High School. They met when both were living in Golden, a small town in Colorado, and Driscoll first became friends with MacDonald’s brother.

“I was in the lunchroom one day and (his) brother (Seamus) walked by, had a Bruins jacket on and said ‘you’re a Bruins fan?’ and we started talking,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll and Seamus bonded over hockey, but eventually discovered another connection: They were flabbergasted to realize both were raised in the same neighborhood in Massachusetts.

“Though we lived a few blocks from each other in Boston, I never knew him,” Driscoll said. “I moved to Colorado, and his family moved to Colorado, and somehow we both ended up in (Golden).”

That’s how Driscoll ended up becoming friendly with Seamus’ brother, Michael. On Christmas Eve, MacDonald’s mom would play the accordion and Driscoll would play the bagpipes.

In 1997, Michael MacDonald published “All Souls,” which received immediate acclaim. He is a busy activist in Boston and teaches non-fiction writing at Northeastern University’s Honors Department.

“When I was teaching in Colorado, I got his book a little bit into the curriculum; Fridays we would read it aloud in class, “ Driscoll said. “We do an injustice unit here, so I got the book into the curriculum last year as one of the choice books. At the beginning of the school year I reached out to Mike and said ‘We’re doing your book, would you be interested in coming and speaking to the student body?’”

After some time and lots of talk about logistics, MacDonald agreed to come to WBHS. Usually he only talks with large communities and charges a fee, but since he knows Driscoll, he is coming just for the cost of the trip.

“I spoke to some students, and obviously the ones who read the book wanted to go, but I think it’s pretty eye-opening, especially for kids who have grown up in West Bend their whole life,” Driscoll said. “I think it would be a good experience for them to see that this is what pockets of the United States have to offer.”

Students who received permission from parents to attend MacDonald’s presentation will be excused from their normal classes.

“I am excited to hear about his experiences because I am interested in learning more about other walks of life,” East sophomore Genna Lehnerz said.

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(Top image: Mike Driscoll, East High School English teacher, organized MacDonald’s visit to West Bend. Students will attend the presentation on Thursday.)