SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The man who played catch every day for 365 days is rounding the bases once again, this time on a book tour.

“It has been so much fun to write about this incredible city,” says Ethan Bryan, author of the handcrafted collection of poems titled “This is My Springfield.”
“Just this idea out of left field hit me of ‘i need to write poems about springfield’ like jeff houghton said, make something where you are.” 

Each poem highlights unique elements that give Springfield its identity, even the difficult parts.
“There is so much good about Springfield, and that’s what I chose to celebrate most of it, but there are some hard poems too. Poems that pay tribute to the girls who disapeared in 1992, and the lynchings on the square. Poems that have shaped who Springfield is, we need to remember these stories.”

The sports fanatic teamed up with a childhood friend to take photos, and his youngest daughter to illustrate.

“I said ‘well hey you should write some, do some drawings for some of my poems’, and she was like ‘okay’ and all of a sudden she just… it was brilliant.”

Bryan says whether he’s on the field getting to know a stranger or re-writing a poem for the hundredth time, focus is at the forefront.

“Poetry helps us to see life differently and to just be in the moment and that’s exactly what it was with catch 365 was being in the moment with the person playing catch. Poetry puts rhythm, and meter and words to that same.”