Merle Hanson to Present at the Blue Heron
Tuesday | January 2 | 7 pm
Blue Heron Coffeehouse | 162 W 2nd St.
On Tuesday, January 2nd at 7 pm, Merle Hanson, Winona’s Favorite Storyteller, will present some of his stories at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, 162 W 2nd St., Winona, as part of the Laureate Writers Series. The presentation is open to the public and will be followed by a Q&A session, a book signing, and then an open mic. Bring some of your work to share, in any genre. There’s a five-minute limit per presenter. This series is sponsored by the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Shipwreckt Books, Chapter 2 Bookstore, and Friends of the Winona Public Library.
Merle Hanson grew up in Winona and graduated from Winona Senior High School. After attending Saint Mary’s University, he eventually received a degree in Mortuary Science from the University of Minnesota. After living in St. Paul and Caledonia, he wound up back in Winona where he has been for the last 15 years. He and his partner Cheryl Utecht have a grown daughter and two grown sons. Hanson’s first book, Portraits, was published in 2015 (Book Shelf Editions), followed by Ageless Winona in 2021 and Tales From the River Bottoms in 2022, both with Wagonbridge Publishing. He is closing in on another book. Recently Hanson and Joe Hughes shared some of Merle’s stories at Peter’s Biergarten. This was so popular that Merle and Joe were encouraged to begin a series at the Winona Public Library entitled “Winona Stories,” which will commence on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 5 pm, starting in January.
Hanson’s voice is unique—he has taken his long-standing affliction with schizophrenia, involving the hearing of voices, to present a rich history of Winona through the voices of our dead citizens—it is a rollicking dialogue between these entities and the persona of the writer himself, warts and all. Here is how he explains parts of his journey:
“I was 19 when my mind split, broke and shattered. Like the splitting of a chemical bond my mind raced. Two minds then four and then like shattered glass I couldn’t see in any direction. Light began pouring in as the cracks in the myths that surround us started crumbling…. I met Thomas Eagleton and Ernest Hemingway as I walked like a sloth on the 6th floor locked unit of St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, MN. I heard my forefathers. Climb that hill they cried. Stand up and face the demons and I found my Dad’s heart beating inside me. The heart of a Marine and I began the long journey to who I am.”
This is a voice full of compassion, wisdom, and wit. Show up on January 2nd and see for yourself. Be prepared to be entertained!
Shipwreckt Books and Laureate Writers Series organizers Ken McCullough and Emilio DeGrazia are members of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.