David Harrison was born in Springfield, Missouri. He has lived in Aja, Arizona (as a boy), Atlanta, Georgia (as a graduate student), Evansville, Indiana (as a pharmacologist), Kansas City, Missouri (as an editorial manager) and back in Springfield (as a business owner).

Counting his first poems at age six, David has been a writer most of his life and has produced 80 published books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that have won dozens of awards. He holds two degrees in science and two honorary doctorates of letters (MSU and Drury University).

 He is poet laureate for Drury and David Harrison Elementary School was named in his honor. He regularly speaks at conferences and visits schools.