Hi everyone,
Tomorrow I have a meeting to discuss my page on Drury University’s website. I’ve had one for years but it can be hard to find and I think it’s time to update and perhaps reinvent it. I’ve been privileged to serve Drury (my alma mater) as its poet laureate since 1982 under presidents John Moore, Todd Parnell, David Manuel, and John Beuerlein. Tomorrow’s meeting will call for an examination of the position and what might be expected of the person who holds that post.
Over the years, I’ve visited classes in the schools of Education and English, given presentations in Olin Library to general audiences, co-authored a book (with CDs and a teachers’ guide) on how to write, given presentations to visiting local classes of elementary, middle, and high school students that were also streamed live to numerous other schools in Missouri and beyond, given convocation talks, and named Drury as my affiliated school on more than a dozen of my co-authored books for classroom teachers. Most recently I read for the first time in public the poem I wrote about Missouri shortly after being named as the 7th Missouri Poet Laureate.
I’m honored when asked to speak to students or faculty at Drury, but it seems to me that my chief priority is to represent the school to the public in ways that connect with literacy in general and poetry in particular. I look forward to tomorrow’s talk and to those that will follow as we perfect my job description along with the renovated web page. The floor is open for discussion and I invite you to make your own suggestions about what I might do as we look forward. Thank you.
Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog 
Wonderful David! My message would be to remember that those you serve need not get bogged down in the academic forest when they write. Remind them to have fun! Bring in bubbles, have them create a rain storm using their fingers, (https://currituck.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/09/lets-make-it-rain/).
Good morning, Linda, and thank you. I agree that my approach to writing poetry comes with a sense of humor and tendency to keep it light. There’s another whole world of serious poetry written by serious poets, and I appreciate them and their work. I’m well advised to stick with what I do best and leave the rest to others.
You live the writing life in front of us that you hope for us to have for ourselves. That is evident in every word, every joke, every reminder that you write. I have heard boring teachers, and I have had the ones who were having so much fun that I wanted to learn just to join in. You, David, are the latter. Have a beautiful day!
Linda, Sandy tells me I get my sense of playfulness from my mother. We used to call Neva Harrison our own Auntie Mame. I’m so glad that you enjoy my blog and I always apprecite your thoughts and comments. Thank you!