Category Sandy Asher

Oct 3 2025

Somebody Catch My Homework, the play

Hi everyone,

My friend and colleague, SANDY ASHER, sent me the happy word yesterday that her play, Somebody Catch My Homework, is currently being produced in Wisconsin. The one act play, which was inspired by 19 of my poems from seven books, premiered in Springfield in 2002, and was first produced by Good Community Theatre for All Ages, a community outreach project of Drury University School of Education and directed by MAXINE WHITTAKER. Original music was created by RIC AVERILL. The role of Sidney was played by Springfield’s own COREY KILBURN! Sandy received The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award. For more information, here’s a good link: https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/browse/somebody-catch-my-homework

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The play was published by Dramatic Publishing and is described in part as 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. 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!

The play has been produced numerous times in the United States and abroad. This time it took place at Longfellow Elementary School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as part of the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire’s Theatre for Young Audiences touring production of “Somebody Catch My Homework.”

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Dec 24 2023

Sandy Asher is today’s guest

Hi everyone,

If you don’t have access to Springfield News-Leader, you can click on this link to read what SANDY ASHER has to tell us on today’s feature, Poetry from Daily Life. Read on!

https://www.news-leader.com/in-depth/entertainment/2023/12/24/poetry-from-daily-life-follow-form-make-it-your-own/71991486007/

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My thanks to Sandy. I hope you will share the link to her column and use your own social media connections to spread the word about the weekly feature.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, David and Sandy

Dec 23 2023

Sandy Asher this week on Poetry from Daily Life

Hi everyone,

Sunday’s guest on Poetry from Daily Life is SANDY ASHER. Those who follow my blog know of our long friendship and collaboration on numerous projects. Most recently her play, Somebody Catch My Homework, inspired by my poems, has been seen by 780 students in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Here’s how I will introduce Sandy when her column comes out. Be watching for the link to the Springfield News-Leader site so you can reading it there. 

This week’s guest on “Poetry from Daily Life” is Sandy Asher, who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. When she was in 2nd grade, Sandy began making up plays for her friends to act out with her. Her first publication was a poem in a small, literary magazine in 1964, for which she was paid two contributor’s copies. She writes for preschool through adult audiences – “anything that moves me deeply” – and her work includes plays, poetry, stories, books, and articles. She calls chocolate ice cream her drug of choice and wants us to know that she once “jumped up and down on a dance floor with Paul Newman.” Two of Sandy's favorite picture books are Too Many Frogs and Chicken Story Time. Sophie’s Monster Goes to Shul is due out in March 2024.
Oct 6 2023

Heartland Book Festival

Hi everyone,

I have a meeting this morning to discuss a new book but will leave later in the day for the Heartland Book Festival in Kansas City. This one is a partnership with Kansas City Public Library, Missouri Humanities, and the Missouri Center for the Book. Tonight’s opening festivities take place in the Follies Theater. The rest of the festival will be held tomorrow in the Central Library. This evening before the main speaker I’ll be introduced in my role as Missouri Poet Laureate. I’ll read the Missouri poem and invite attendees to visit me tomorrow in Kirk Hall at the Central Library. During the day I’ll hold drawings for free books (thank you Charlesbridge, Holiday House, and Astra), sign, and talk to visitors about my first major project: Word of the Month Poetry Challenge.

Tomorrow evening Sandy and I will be guests of two good friends, WYATT and RODERICK TOWNLEY, both wonderful writers. I first met Roderick in the years when I attended the literature festival in Warrensburg. Wyatt is former poet laureate of Kansas. She and I have worked together.

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My everlasting thanks to Springfield Public Schools and the sponsors, including Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, for yesterday’s induction ceremonies. It was a joyous occasion and I am more grateful than I can say. Here’s a link to the video interviews featuring SANDY ASHER, BRIAN FOGLE, and KATHLEEN O’DELL. I loved it! https://youtu.be/puFd9p-wCcE.

Feb 19 2023

About Sandy Asher and Jesse and Grace and much more

He everyone,

My old friend and colleague, SANDY ASHER, was featured the other day by Dramatic Publishing in their Author Spotlight and I don’t want to rush by that honor too quickly. It has meaning because it’s based on a lifetime of outstanding work. Here’s a link about the spotlight: Here’s a link to see the announcement. https://mailchi.mp/dpcplays.com/sandra_asher?e=9a4b9c5da And here’s a sample of her recognitions listed in the opening lines of her honor.

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Sandra Fenichel Asher's plays have been produced nationally and abroad. A Woman Called Truth, In the Garden of the Selfish Giant and Jesse and Grace: A Best Friends Story have all been honored with the AATE Distinguished Play Award. Across the Plains was selected for the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices Symposium. Walking Toward America and Mariposa/Butterfly were chosen for development at New York University's New Plays for Young Audiences workshop and symposium at the Provincetown Playhouse.
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AATE stands for American Alliance for Theater and Education and I’m always proud to know that one of Sandy’s three AATE Distinguished Play Awards was for JESSE AND GRACE, based on the verse novel that she and I wrote together. We have yet to find a home for it with a book publisher but given the story’s success as a play, we know it’s a matter of time before we find the write book editor.

Congratulations, Sandy. Proud to know you, Sent with love and admiration