A poem per week

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I received a note from ANGELA KNIGHT, librarian at David Harrison Elementary School and a good friend of mine. She told me that from the first of the year she has been reading one of my poems to the student body each week. I didn’t know that and was delighted by her news.

“We started with Somebody Catch My Homework,” she told me, “and will move to The Mouse Was Out At Recess.  My goal is to have 25 poems read by the end of May, and if we multiply that by the number of students…that would be over 8,000 poetry exposures since January 1^st.” 

I plan to talk to Angela soon to ask if she knows of other schools in the district with similar programs of reading a poem each week to their student bodies. Not my poems, although that would be great fun. Just a poem selected from the vast resources of work published by poems around the world, past and present. Wouldn’t that be nice? Son Jeff urged me to pursue the idea as a new project. He may be right. I’ll let you know what I learn. Meanwhile, you can tell me if you know about programs like this in your areas.

Playing around

Hi everyone,

I received my royalty statement from Dramatic Publishing the other day. I have two entries in their catalog, both thanks to my multi-talented friend SANDY ASHER. In 2004, she wrote SOMEBODY CATCH MY HOMEWORK, a play inspired by various poems from my work, both published and un-. A few years later she and I teamed to write a long story in free verse, JESSE AND GRACE, A BEST FRIENDS STORY, also published by Dramatic.

JESSE AND GRACE has done well and Sandy won two coveted awards for it — AATE Distinguished Play Award and The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award. It wasn’t produced during the past six reporting months but SOMEBODY CATCH MY HOMEWORK was. I was pleased to see in this new statement that it has recently appeared in Missoula Children’s Theatre (Missoula, Montana), Oak Farm Montessori School (Avilla, Indiana), and Saint Thomas More High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin).

Think of a story about a new girl in a 4th grade class that has a lot going on. It’s sort of like a musical (really does have music) but when kids stop to perform, my poems come out of their mouths instead of songs. Is that cool? I think so!

New production of SOMEBODY CATCH MY HOMEWORK

Hi everyone,

SANDY ASHER sent word that a new production of SOMEBODY CATCH MY HOMEWORK is coming up in Indiana. Details to follow. Of the many projects that Sandy and I have tackled together over the years, this play has been the most enduring. Our other play together is JESSE AND GRACE, A BEST FRIENDS STORY.

Somebody Catch My Homework

By Sandra Fenichel Asher. Inspired by the poetry of David L. Harrison. Optional incidental music by Ric Averill.

• One-act Play
• Comedy
• Cast size: 2m., 2w., 1 either gender. Expandable to 13 roles, plus extras as desired.
• Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
• Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award

Synopsis

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. At the bus stop, Samantha meets three wacky new friends who welcome her into their class, which just happens to be studying the animal kingdom. Their search for essay topics takes them from a dinner table’s chicken thighs to the pasture of a bull not pleased to see visitors. A wayward wad of bubble gum, tuba practice and a sticky baby sister later, the busy day finally peaks with the rescue of 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! Incidental music composed especially for this play is available. Highly tourable by five actors. Somebody Catch My Homework also offers creative opportunities for a larger cast and/or audience participation.

Somebody Catch My Homework goes west

Hi everyone,

Yesterday Sandy Asher and I learned that her play inspired by my poems will be produced next in Missoula, Montana. I’ve lost track of all the places the play has been produced since its premiere in Springfield in 2002. Along the way it earned The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher of the play, Dramatic Publishing. 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. At the bus stop, Samantha meets three wacky new friends who welcome her into their class, which just happens to be studying the animal kingdom. Their search for essay topics takes them from a dinner table’s chicken thighs to the pasture of a bull not pleased to see visitors. A wayward wad of bubble gum, tuba practice and a sticky baby sister later, the busy day finally peaks with the rescue of 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! Incidental music composed especially for this play is available. Highly tourable by five actors. Somebody Catch My Homework also offers creative opportunities for a larger cast and/or audience participation.

I think (my) Sandy has relatives in Missoula and one of my favorite friends/authors, Sneed B. Collard III lives there too. When the play is produced in Montana, I might have to go out and sit in the audience!

Somebody Catch My Homework!

Hi everyone,

Sandy Asher told me yesterday about a new production of SOMEBODY CATCH MY HOMEWORK coming up soon in South Carolina. I’ve told you about the play before but it’s always fun to see it coming to another stage.

Somebody Catch My Homework
By Sandra Fenichel Asher. Inspired by the poetry of David L. Harrison. Optional incidental music by Ric Averill.
Product Code: SH8000

One-act Play
Comedy
Cast size: 2m., 2w., 1 either gender. Expandable to 13 roles, plus extras as desired.
Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award
Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.

Synopsis
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. At the bus stop, Samantha meets three wacky new friends who welcome her into their class, which just happens to be studying the animal kingdom. Their search for essay topics takes them from a dinner table’s chicken thighs to the pasture of a bull not pleased to see visitors. A wayward wad of bubble gum, tuba practice and a sticky baby sister later, the busy day finally peaks with the rescue of 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! Incidental music composed especially for this play is available. Highly tourable by five actors. Somebody Catch My Homework also offers creative opportunities for a larger cast and/or audience participation.