Tag Archives: Sandy Asher

Oct 3 2025

Somebody Catch My Homework, the play

Hi everyone,

My friend and colleague, SANDY ASHER, sent me the happy word yesterday that her play, Somebody Catch My Homework, is currently being produced in Wisconsin. The one act play, which was inspired by 19 of my poems from seven books, premiered in Springfield in 2002, and was first produced by Good Community Theatre for All Ages, a community outreach project of Drury University School of Education and directed by MAXINE WHITTAKER. Original music was created by RIC AVERILL. The role of Sidney was played by Springfield’s own COREY KILBURN! Sandy received The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award. For more information, here’s a good link: https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/browse/somebody-catch-my-homework

The play was published by Dramatic Publishing and is described in part as A light-hearted, high-energy look at one eventful day in the life of fourth-grader Samantha, the new girl in town, who has lost her beloved cat, Corky. Nineteen humorous—and sometimes serious—poems by David L. Harrison are woven into the script as dialogue. Instead of bursting into song, the characters break out into poetry!

The play has been produced numerous times in the United States and abroad. This time it took place at Longfellow Elementary School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as part of the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire’s Theatre for Young Audiences touring production of “Somebody Catch My Homework.”

Dec 24 2023

Sandy Asher is today’s guest

Hi everyone,

If you don’t have access to Springfield News-Leader, you can click on this link to read what SANDY ASHER has to tell us on today’s feature, Poetry from Daily Life. Read on!

https://www.news-leader.com/in-depth/entertainment/2023/12/24/poetry-from-daily-life-follow-form-make-it-your-own/71991486007/

My thanks to Sandy. I hope you will share the link to her column and use your own social media connections to spread the word about the weekly feature.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, David and Sandy

Dec 23 2023

Sandy Asher this week on Poetry from Daily Life

Hi everyone,

Sunday’s guest on Poetry from Daily Life is SANDY ASHER. Those who follow my blog know of our long friendship and collaboration on numerous projects. Most recently her play, Somebody Catch My Homework, inspired by my poems, has been seen by 780 students in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Here’s how I will introduce Sandy when her column comes out. Be watching for the link to the Springfield News-Leader site so you can reading it there. 

This week’s guest on “Poetry from Daily Life” is Sandy Asher, who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. When she was in 2nd grade, Sandy began making up plays for her friends to act out with her. Her first publication was a poem in a small, literary magazine in 1964, for which she was paid two contributor’s copies. She writes for preschool through adult audiences – “anything that moves me deeply” – and her work includes plays, poetry, stories, books, and articles. She calls chocolate ice cream her drug of choice and wants us to know that she once “jumped up and down on a dance floor with Paul Newman.” Two of Sandy's favorite picture books are Too Many Frogs and Chicken Story Time. Sophie’s Monster Goes to Shul is due out in March 2024.
Dec 12 2023

Young Company aces it with, Somebody Catch My Homework

Hi everyone,

That’s the headline of the article by JULIA MCKAY in the Pembroke Observer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I told you the other day about this most recent production of SANDY ASHER’S play, Somebody Catch My Homework, inspired by my poetry. The reporter for the Observer goes on to say,

Somebody Catch My Homework, is a heartwarming story for kids about being lost and found and the joys that come along the way. A play written by Sandra Fenichel Asher (and inspired by the poetry of David L Harrison), it is the second production put on by the new incarnation of the Young Company and is more than worth the effort to get out to see.

The community at large has one more opportunity to see it (on) Saturday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m.. There will also be a celebration performance which is by invitation only on the 16th in the evening. Altogether “the show will be performed for 780 elementary school students from various schools across the (Upper Canada District School Board) and other local boards,” said Gananoque Intermediate and Secondary School (GISS) teacher, Robyn Abelson.

Way to go, Sandy. Way to go, us. Way to go, kids!

Oct 6 2023

Heartland Book Festival

Hi everyone,

I have a meeting this morning to discuss a new book but will leave later in the day for the Heartland Book Festival in Kansas City. This one is a partnership with Kansas City Public Library, Missouri Humanities, and the Missouri Center for the Book. Tonight’s opening festivities take place in the Follies Theater. The rest of the festival will be held tomorrow in the Central Library. This evening before the main speaker I’ll be introduced in my role as Missouri Poet Laureate. I’ll read the Missouri poem and invite attendees to visit me tomorrow in Kirk Hall at the Central Library. During the day I’ll hold drawings for free books (thank you Charlesbridge, Holiday House, and Astra), sign, and talk to visitors about my first major project: Word of the Month Poetry Challenge.

Tomorrow evening Sandy and I will be guests of two good friends, WYATT and RODERICK TOWNLEY, both wonderful writers. I first met Roderick in the years when I attended the literature festival in Warrensburg. Wyatt is former poet laureate of Kansas. She and I have worked together.

My everlasting thanks to Springfield Public Schools and the sponsors, including Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, for yesterday’s induction ceremonies. It was a joyous occasion and I am more grateful than I can say. Here’s a link to the video interviews featuring SANDY ASHER, BRIAN FOGLE, and KATHLEEN O’DELL. I loved it! https://youtu.be/puFd9p-wCcE.