Critically Acclaimed Songwriter to Perform at Laidlaw

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Posted on March 6, 2019

Alice Jackson

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An esteemed musician and novelist will give a musical performance and reading at the 2019 Annual Songwriter Keynote beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 in the John W. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Mainstage Theatre at the University of South Alabama.

The concert will feature Josh Ritter, singer and author of The New York Times best-seller “Bright’s Passage.” Ritter will perform original songs and cite passages from his novel centered on Appalachia during World War I.

Paste Magazine named Ritter one of the “100 Best Living Songwriters” in 2006 and NPR deemed him “one of the world’s best songwriters” for his ability to connect with a live audience.

“Watching Josh Ritter stand on stage and perform, you get this overwhelming sense of joy,” said Talia Schlanger, NPR journalist.

In a review of his novel, Stephen King writes, “Bright’s Passage shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.”

This event is free and open to the public. Seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis at the door on the day of the show. A limited number of VIP packages will be available in advance. An interactive and moderated Q&A will be held following the reading.

Additional sponsors include USA’s Stokes Center for Creative Writing, the Independent Music Collective, USA Department of Theatre and Dance, USA Department of English and Phi Kappa Phi.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page. 

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