WAMFEST Brings Acclaimed Artists, Writers to FDU

For two weeks in April and May, Fairleigh Dickinson University will be hosting the 2011 WAMFEST (Words and Music Festival), featuring an eclectic line-up of novelists, music producers, and singer/songwriters, in five events in April and May.

WAMFEST artist in residence, Wesley Stace/John Wesley Harding will host and perform in all of the events.

WAMFEST is an annual series hosted by FDU’s Becton College and the Creative Writing Programs that brings successful artists of various genres and media to the Madison campus, to inspire and inform students who hope to one day follow in these artists’ creative footsteps. The festival is designed to celebrate the literary qualities of popular music and to break down the barriers between the community and academia, bridging the gap between the literature in universities and the literature of the people. Past guests have included Bruce Springsteen, Robert Pinsky, Roseanne Cash, and Eugene Mirman. 

WAMFEST 2011 Schedule

April 26: Twangy rocker Alejandro Escodevo, producer and musician Tony Visconti, and author, music critic, and radio deejay Dave Marsh will join Harding in Hartman Lounge in Hennessy Hall at 5 p.m. for a conversation and performance.

April 29: Brother/sister indie pop duo, The Fiery Furnaces, will bring their unique brand of music to the Bottle Hill Room at 5 p.m. for a conversation and performance with Harding.

May 2: Harding will be joined by three seasoned writers for “The New Yorker”: Ben Greenman, Nancy Franklin, and Alex Ross at 2 p.m. in Lenfell Hall. They will discuss what it is like to write for the magazine.

May 5: Celebrated singer/songwriter and recent novelist Josh Ritter will join Stace/Harding for a reading, performance, and conversation in Hartman Lounge at 2:30 p.m.

May 7: Folk rocker Owen will join Harding in Hartman Lounge at 6 p.m. for a conversation and performance.

Harding/Stace is a critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter and novelist. He has released 15 music albums, ranging in style from folk to pop. While performing under his stage name of John Wesley Harding, he has also written three novels under his real name, Wesley Stace. His most recent novel, a mystery called “Charles Jessold, Considered a Murderer” has received positive reviews in The New York Times and The New Yorker, as well as several other newspapers and magazines.

Admission to WAMFEST 2011 events is free; however, due to space limitations, reservations are recommended.

For more information, visit WAMFEST’s blog at http://wamfest.wordpress.com or contact David Daniel at ddaniel@fdu.edu.