Category Meyer Library

Apr 29 2025

49 years of my papers brought together

Hi everyone,

For a number of years my papers — drafts, manuscripts, revisions, artist sketches, correspondence, book covers, unbound books, etc. — were on loan to the James C. Kirkpatrick Library archival collection on the campus of University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. More recently I’ve been sending my work to the Duane G. Meyer Library archival collection in Springfield, Missouri on the campus of Missouri State University. Now and then someone from Meyer library comes to my house and takes my latest accumulation of boxes in my basement to add to those already in the collection. The last time I called was in 2018 so materials for the years from then to present are downstairs waiting to hitch a ride to MSU.

A few years ago the good folks at Meyer held a reception for me and put what they had of my work at the time on display. A group of professional actors calling themselves Friends of David Harrison came and read from my work. Behind me in this picture you can see MICHAEL FRIZELL and SARAH WIGGIN. There was more to the display than you see in the picture.

Last year I decided to retrieve my work from University of Central Missouri and consolidate everything at Meyer Library in Springfield. Work has been ongoing since then to bring the two collections together. Last week I visited the library and was given a tour of the results by ANNE BAKER, head of special collection, and ASHLEY MORRILL and TRACIE GIESELMAN FRANCE who worked on the collection. They had stacked all the boxes on tables so I could move among them and see just how much work has gone into the project. The total collection fills 53 boxes. Here’s a link to the article in the paper about the event. https://springfieldnewsleader-mo.newsmemory.com?publink=192588f19_134f960

One day soon I’ll arrange to get the past seven years of work taken to the library to bring everything up to date. The collection is now officially open to the public and I hope that students from MSU and other campuses will consider looking through the papers in search of that next class paper or, perhaps, to seek clues about the writer’s life.

Apr 18 2024

Archiving my work

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to say that all of my manuscripts, drafts, correspondence, and other papers are now in Springfield. For decades I had close ties with the people who hosted the annual Children’s Literature Festival on the University of Central Missouri campus in Warrensburg, Missouri. During the thirty-six years in which I was one of the participating authors, I began placing my papers in the James C. Kirkpatrick Library.

More recently I’ve placed my work at the Duane G. Meyer Library on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield. Recently I decided it was time to consolidate both collections into one and house it in Meyer Library to make it more accessible for students and others with an interest in looking back through my history as a writer since my first publications fifty-five years ago.

Campus scenes for viewbook . Bob Linder/ Missouri State

I’m grateful to TOM PETERS, Dean of the Meyer Library, for driving to Warrensburg to retrieve my work there and bringing it all to Springfield. I’m sure it will take time to make the combined papers a complete collection available for study, but I’ll make an announcement here when I’m told it’s all ready.

Apr 11 2024

Tonight at 7:00 at Kentwood Hall

Hi everyone,

If you live in the area, I hope you plan to be there tonight. This is the evening I’ve been talking about when I’ll speak and read from several books and Byron Biggers Band will perform ten of my poems set to music. The event is part of the Kentwood Hall Series sponsored by Meyer Library at MSU and is meant to make more people aware of the Legends Project, an effort to create several of my books, as well as other area authors, in Braille editions. This is NOT a fund raiser. It will last an hour, it’s free to the public, and it will be a lot of fun. Plenty of free parking available not far from the door.

I’ll plan to read a sample or two from seven of my poetry books that are on the Legends Project list. After that, the band will play. One of my favorites is Monday, a poem that first appeared thirty-one ears ago in a book called Somebody Catch My Homework. If I remember correctly, SANDY ASHER also used it in her play of the same name. It goes like this.

Overslept
Rain is pouring
Missed the bus
Dad is roaring

Late for school
Forgot my spelling
Soaking wet
Clothes are smelling

Dropped my books
Got them muddy
Flunked a test
Didn’t study

Teacher says
I must do better
Lost my money
Tore my sweater

Feeling dumber
Feeling glummer
Monday sure can be
A bummer.


Kentwood Hall has a rich history. In my high school years, some of our proms were held in the same ballroom -- The Crystal Room -- where we'll be performing tonight. When it was a hotel with permanent living quarters for some, my mother's twin sister, Eva, lived there. More recently, Writers Hall of Fame used the Crystal Room for its annual award ceremonies to celebrate the accomplishments of young writers in the area.
Apr 9 2024

Byron Biggers Band is performing for free public event

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I rehearsed with fellow members of Byron Biggers Band — CHRIS CRAIG and GALE CLITHERO. We are prepared to play ten pieces this Thursday evening (April 11) in Springfield at Kentwood Hall on St. Louis Street. This is part of Missouri State University’s “Kentwood Series” and is sponsored/hosted by The Meyer Library.

Portraits from Fall photo days, September 4, 2019. Visual Media/Missouri State University

I’ll start the event by reading/talking for twenty to twenty-five minutes. Then the band will play. All of our pieces are poems of mine that Chris has arranged as songs with guitar and percussion accompaniment. I especially love “Monday,” “Worms,” and “Teacher Has Eyes in the Back of Her Head.” We have such a good time! The evening is free and open to the public. Families with children are encouraged to attend. It should be a pleasant hour of entertainment. Lots of free parking available not far from the door.

Sep 28 2019

Where bones of my wits will lie at peace

Hi everyone,

The boxes of my papers recently placed on a 10-year loan to the Meyer Library on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield have been processed and are now available for students and others interested in looking through some of my work. Should anyone want to find them, the collection number is M131, Dates 1972-2018. I don’t believe the Finders Aid is online yet but will let you know if it becomes available. At some point not far off there will be a video interview and an audio interview of me talking about my work placed with the collections.

The bulk of my earlier papers are archived in 37 boxes and 4 binders in the Philip A. Sadler Research Collection of Literature for Children and Young Adults housed in the James C. Kirkpatrick Library at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Here’s a link to the collection.
https://guides.library.ucmo.edu/c.php?g=141854&p=929060