Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Friday, March 21, 2008

Jon Hassler, Minnesota author of ‘Staggerford,’ dies

By Käri Knutson | Winona Daily News

Author Jon Hassler’s first theater was sitting at the counter of his father’s Red Owl grocery store in Plainview, Minn. The Minnesota novelist would later chronicle small-town life in “Staggerford,” “Grand Opening” and other novels after starting his career late in life.

Hassler died Thursday at the age of 74, after years of suffering from a neurological disorder. He had been in home hospice care since the holidays and entered Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., on Monday, according to family friend Nick Hayes.

Sally Childs first directed Hassler’s “Simon’s Night” in 1991 at the Lyric Theatre in Minneapolis. The small theater only had 130 seats. Fans of Hassler, many of whom were from Plainview, got upset that they couldn’t be seated, so Childs rented smaller chairs, allowing the theater to seat 25 more people.

“He had such a wonderful fan club,” Childs said. “It spread all over Minnesota.”

In 2000, the Lyric Theatre moved to Plainview, renaming itself Jon Hassler Theater. Childs was artistic director until 2004. Last summer, she returned to the theater to direct a community production of “Grand Opening,” which is based on Hassler’s time growing up in Plainview.

“My experience with Jon has been wonderful always. He has such a generous spirit,” Childs said.

Hassler was born in Minneapolis on March 30, 1933, but spent his middle and high school years in Plainview.

He graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., in 1955 before receiving a master’s from the University of North Dakota. He spent years teaching before launching his writing career at age 37.

He didn’t publish his first novel, “Staggerford,” a semi-autobiographical story about a high school teacher in a small town, until seven years later.

Despite his deteriorating health, Hassler continued work on a book, “Jay O’Malley,” up until his death, Hayes said.

“He had one more to go, at least,” Hayes said.

Childs says “North of Hope” is a good example of Hassler’s work.

“I think the title says it all,” Childs said. “There’s always hope — something positive in his books but he doesn’t hesitate to go to the dark side. It’s true in all of his books.”

In a 1995 interview, Hassler told the Associated Press that he liked writing about misfits.

“You can’t write a novel about somebody who’s perfectly happy,” he said.

Childs says Loyola Press approached Hassler about writing a book on goodness. Hassler told her he couldn’t do it because you don’t write about abstractions.

He said, “I can’t write about goodness, but I can write about good people.”

“Good People … from an Author’s Life” was published in 2001.

What Childs loves and will remember most about his work was his ability to capture small town life.

“I love the people. They’re small-town folk, and so am I,” Childs said.

Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523. The Associated Press contributed to this story.