Local children’s book author David Harrison is working with the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, to publish his autobiography, tentatively titled There Once Was A Boy. This week, he met with the new OSI managing editor, Elaina Kersey, to discuss his hopes for the book and ideas for cover design, distribution, and more. 

 

Harrison, a Springfield native, is in his mid-eighties and has had a long and successful career, publishing books as a standalone author and a collaborator, such as the recent titles Rum Pum Pum, The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet, and After Dark: Poems about Nocturnal Animals. He still wakes up early and works from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The rest of the day, he spends with his wife. There Once Was A Boy is only in the early stages, but it’s already an inspiring page-turner that OSI is excited to share with generations of fans.