Tag Archives: David L Harrison

May 2 2026

Jo Van Arkel joins David Harrison and Friends at The Library Center on May 5

Hi everyone,

Count down: 3 days left so I hope you are making plans to join me in the glorious new Hatch Auditorium in The Library Center on South Campbell. Doors open at 6:00. Plenty of parking. A free, family-friendly, fun evening from 6:30-8:30. I hope to see you there.

JO VAN ARKEL is another great talent who will be on the program. If you live in the Springfield area, chances are good that you know Jo, have taken a class under her at Drury University, heard her speak, or read some of her work. Here is a brief bio to refresh your memory or introduce you.

Jo Van Arkel is a long-time professor at Drury University, teaching English and Writing.  She currently serves as Faculty Fellow in Innovative Teaching and Director of the Graphic Storytelling Certificate.  She writes poems and stories with multiple publications to her credit.   Her new collection, Ozark Stories and Wonder Tales is a contemporary fusion of long and short form stories influenced by myth, fairy tales and Ozark folklore.   

May 1 2026

Countdown: 4 days to go. Amanda Horton joins David Harrison and Friends at The Library Center on May 5

Hi everyone,

I was delighted when music teacher AMANDA HORTON said she would participate in David Harrison and Friends and bring a group of her Wilder students to perform some of my poems.

Here is a brief bio that Amanda provided for the program.

Amanda Horton has been a music educator for 13 years - all of those years with SPS. She has been at Wilder since 2017 and has previously taught in various buildings including McGregor, Campbell, Watkins, and her current pairing - Pershing Elementary On May 5, Amanda will bring a few of her Wilder Warblers – a 5th grade after-school choir.
May 1 2026

The word for the May Word of the Month is…

Hi everyone,

I’ll announce the word for May now though it might take me a few more hours to delete the posts for April. I don’t want to lose any time for getting started on your May creations!

Therefore let the word for May be MIRACLE. May seems filled with them. Let’s pull out a few to write about.

May 1 2026

So far so good

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was the first event of the Route 66 Centennial Celebration. I joined a number of speakers at the dedication of the Birthplace of Route 66 Plaza, including Mayor JEFF SCHRAG, Missouri Lt. Governor DAVID WASINGER, and SEAN MCMANUS from the Federal Highway Administration. I read my poem, “Where a Highway was Born.”

Afterward, Sandy and I drove to Great Southern Bank Arena on the MSU campus. I had previously been recorded so that my poem, “Showtime!” could be shown on the three large screens hanging above the stage. I don’t know how many attended the event, which was co-hosted by John Goodman and featured such groups as The Heywoods, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and many others, but the fieldhouse holds 10,500 for special events and it was nearly full. We stayed from 5:30 to 9:00. There were still two hours to go.

This morning at 11:00, I’ll attend the dedication of the new $1.3 million Queens Gate sculpture and read my poem, “Homecoming.” At 5:30 I’ll be where the enormous parade begins to read my poem, “Traveling the Memory.”

Apr 30 2026

Glad I didn’t fit into the time capsule

Hi everyone,

We drove to the History Museum on the Square yesterday to drop off my envelope for the Route 66 time capsule, and by chance the capsule was positioned in the doorway for a picture taking session. SEAN FITZGIBBONS, Executive Director of the Museum and chair of the Education and History committee for the Centennial Celebration, was also present so he invited me to get out for a photo op. Here’s the result. Fun!

What did fit in were three books — And the Bullfrogs Sing, A Tree is a Community, and When Cows Come Home — plus a letter, four pictures, and seven poems. All that in one 9×12 envelope!