Mark Zahn and Edgar Allen Poe

The Friends of the Kasson Library are hosting their 2011-2012 season of Hot Reads for Cold Nights. They will feature six Monday evenings with southeast Minnesota authors, writers and even a person who inspired an illustrator to use him as a model for a character in a children Christmas book. Each event will be at the Kasson Public Library and starts at 7 pm. Friends will be serving refreshments.


Local author Mark Zahn kicked off October's Hot Reads by sharing his journey of developing, researching and publishing his book, Modern Poe: Vol. 1. There were about 40 people in attendance who were interested in how he chose to write about this great writer and poet.

November's Hot Reads will be on Monday, November 14th 7 pm and features area historian Michael Eckers who recaps this past summer's Civil War 150th anniversary and talks about the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Dakota Wars along the Minnesota River in 2012.

December's Hot Reads will be on Monday, December 12th 7 pm will feature West Concord resident Chad Winsell and how he was chosen as Santa Claus in the Peef Chrismas Bear stories