Hey there word nerds!
Today I am so honored to welcome David L. Harrison to the show!
David is an award winning American children’s author and poet. His poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for young readers have been anthologized in more than 185 books, translated into twelve languages, sandblasted into a library sidewalk, and painted on a bookmobile.
His poetry collection, Pirates, represented Missouri at the 2013 National Book Fair in Washington, D.C. He is also the poet laureate of Drury University, and he actually has an Elementary School named after him!
David is here with us today to discuss one of his latest works, a picture book poetry collection he did with artist Giles Laroche called A Place to Start a Family: Poems About Creatures that Build; which combines the science of how animals build their nests to mate and reproduce with the art of poetry.
So listen in as David and I chat about crafting beautiful poems from equally beautiful science, for young readers.
In this episode David and I discuss:
- The challenges of crafting scientific facts as a poem, and how to do it right.
- How to focus your research to inform your writing.
- Why the need for accuracy in children’s books is even more important than in adult books.
- Matching the poetic structure and rhythm to the theme of the poem.
- Using spatial poetry in picture books to enhance the reading experience.
Plus, David’s #1 tip for writers.
About David L. Harrison
David L. Harrison is an award winning American children’s author and poet. His poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for young readers have been anthologized in more than 185 books, translated into twelve languages, sandblasted into a library sidewalk, painted on a bookmobile, and presented on television, radio, podcast, and video stream. Ten of his 92 books are professional works for teachers.
He is a poet laureate of Drury University, and David Harrison Elementary School is named for him. He has given keynote talks, college commencement addresses, and has been featured at hundreds of conferences, workshops, literature festivals, and schools across America. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drury University, a Master of Science degree from Emory University, and two Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees.
His poetry collection, Pirates, represented Missouri at the 2013 National Book Fair in Washington, D.C. David and his wife Sandy live in Springfield, Missouri.
His latest work, the picture book poetry collection A Place to Start a Family: Poems About Creatures that Build, is available now.
To connect with David check out his website at davidlharrison.com.
A Place to Start a Family: Poems About Creatures that Build
A poetry collection introducing animal architects that build remarkable structures in order to attract a mate and have babies.
Many animals build something–a nest, tunnel, or web–in order to pair up, lay eggs, give birth, and otherwise perpetuate their species. Organized based on where creatures live–underground, in the water, on land, or in the air–twelve poems bring fish, insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds to life.
Along with back matter that includes more information about each animal, and featuring Giles Laroche’s intricate life-like cut-paper illustrations, readers will feel like they’ve stepped right into the homes of some of nature’s best builders.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
Link to Episode 212
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
