Springfield resident appointed state poet laureate

Gov. Mike Parson appointed a Springfield resident as the state's poet laureate.

Poet and education author David L. Harrison has been named Missouri's seventh poet laureate for a term that runs 2023-25, according to a news release.

The governor-appointed poet laureate works to foster poetry statewide via public appearances, readings, workshops and social media. The Missouri Arts Council administers the 2008-founded program on behalf of the governor's office.

“As poet laureate, I’ll be working with two audiences,” Harrison said in the release. “One is students, teachers, librarians and parents. The other is poets who focus on adult readers. Some poetry reaches both audiences more often than you might think."

Harrison, who has a literary career spanning six decades, has published 106 books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction for young readers, as well as educational books for teachers. Additionally, his work has been anthologized in more than 200 books, translated into 12 languages and presented on mediums such as television, radio and podcasts. He is also a member of Springfield Business Journal’s class of 2023 Men of the Year.

A committee comprised of previous Poets Laureate Walter Bargen, Aliki Barnstone, Karen Craigo, William Trowbridge and Maryfrances Wagner reviewed public nominations and submitted them to the governor for consideration, according to the release. Craigo is a reporter at Springfield Business Journal.

Harrison succeeds Wagner, of Independence, who was poet laureate 2021-23.