An Evening of Poetry and Jazz Oct. 27 at MSUM
Just Friends: An Evening of Poetry and Jazz featuring David Ferreira, Mark Vinz, and Bill Law will be presented Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Weld Hall Glasrud Auditorium. The event is part of the McGrath Visiting Writers Series and is free and open to the public.
The trio has given jazz and poetry performances at art galleries, universities, public libraries, and literary festivals throughout the Upper Midwest.
MSUM Professor Emeritus Mark Vinz is a widely published prose writer and co-editor of a number of anthologies and the author of many books, including Permanent Record, his new book of poems. He received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and was winner of the 2014 Kay Sexton Award for his contributions to Minnesota literature.
MSUM Professor Emeritus David Ferreira is an active singer, conductor, published composer-arranger and pianist. He has conducted the Cathedral Choir at First Lutheran for over 30 years, and is the leader of the Dave Ferreira Trio.
Bill Law is an active jazz and pop bassist having played with many top musicians. He is the assistant director for the Division of Fine Arts at NDSU and hosts the weekly Prairie Public Radio program The Law of Jazz.
About the McGrath Visiting Writers Series
Named in honor of the late Thomas McGrath, an internationally recognized and award-winning author who taught at Moorhead State University from 1969-1983, the Tom McGrath Visiting Writers Series brings to campus some of the finest contemporary writers to read and share their work with students, faculty and the community. The series has featured more than 150 featured writers and sponsored or supported more than 50 other writers and events since its inaugural season.
Some of the many distinguished visiting writers have included U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins; Pulitzer Prize winners Carol Shields and Ted Kooser; National Book Award Winners Robert Bly and William Stafford; and National Book Critics Circle Award winners Louise Erdrich and B.H. Fairchild.