Blue Heron Coffeehouse | 162 W 2nd St.

On Tuesday, January 2, Merle Hanson, Winona’s Favorite Storyteller, will present some of his stories at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse 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. 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 living in St. Paul and Caledonia, he wound up back in Winona where he has been for the last 15 years. 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. 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. This is a voice full of compassion, wisdom, and wit. Learn more.