BEMIDJI—Susan Carol Hauser, a former BSU professor and a longstanding figure in the Minnesota’s creative arts community, has died.

The author of more than a dozen books—of poems, recipes and memories of life in the Northwoods—Hauser moved in December to St. Paul, where she worked on a new book and periodically blogged about the plants and animals she encountered, often while walking her dogs.

“Susan was a positive force in everyone’s life—a force of goodwill, warmth and kindness” said Rosalie Weaver, chair of the BSU English department during Hauser’s tenure. “I would say that every writer in Bemidji probably has a story about her. She’s a huge loss.”

Hauser was an English professor at BSU from 1998 to 2010, starting at the university in 1980 as an adjunct professor and catalog editor. In 2004, she co-founded the school’s creative writing and professional writing bachelor’s program, which held half of BSU’s English majors by its third year.

A Twin Cities native, Hauser earned her master’s degree in fine arts from Bowling Green State University, and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Northern Michigan University.

She wrote mostly poetry in her early career, later publishing cookbooks, memoirs and field guides. Her work often focused on nature, and it was blog-worthy when she failed to place a particular specimen during her daily walks.

“She knew the world around her very well,” Weaver said. “But she was still curious about it.”

Weaver said Hauser wrote constantly. She completed another book—on the history of American barns—last week.

“That’s the one thing I could always say,” Weaver said. “She just kept writing.”

Hauser twice won the Minnesota Book Award, for “Meant to Be Read Out Loud” in 1989 and for “Wild Rice Cooking” in 2001.

She spent a decade as a commentator for Minnesota Public Radio and contributed to National Public Radio’s “Living on Earth,” a weekly program focusing on the environment.

While teaching, Hauser lived north of Bemidji, in Puposky, and remained there several years after the death of her husband. She moved to St. Paul to be closer to her family, and by most accounts had no major health problems. She died Tuesday morning of a brain aneurysm. She was 72.

“People I’ve spoken to said her health was good,” Weaver said. “This comes as a great shock.”

Calls to Hauser’s other friends and former colleagues were not immediately returned Tuesday.