Dave Harris Bridger is a writer, poet, illustrator, and educator whose work comes from lived experience and a deep respect for language. He writes with a clear, grounded voice shaped by his background in English literature and a long admiration for the rhythm and precision of the beat poets, early performance poetry, and classic hip-hop. His work leans on clean lines and an interest in how people move through their lives.

Dave’s illustrations draw from the energy of comics he grew up with, especially the work of Bill Watterson and Jeff Smith. His line work is purposeful and expressive, adding movement and emotional weight to the stories he tells.

He studied English Education at Missouri State University and later earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from Lindenwood University. Both disciplines influence the way he approaches storytelling: as a chance to connect, to clarify, and to help readers see themselves with a little more honesty and strength.

His current focus is writing contemporary children’s stories and poems that give young readers a sense of steadiness, curiosity, and confidence without talking down to them. He believes in treating kids as full people, capable of complex thought and real emotional depth.

Dave writes to make sense of the world and to invite readers to do the same.