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April 24-26, 2026
Word of [South], a festival of literature and music, is a unique blend of writers and musicians and an exploration of the relationship between the two disciplines. Beginning with our first festival in 2015, the festival showcases authors who write about music, musicians who also are authors, authors and musicians trading places, and everything in between. We’re especially proud of our “mu-aushups”: authors and musicians appearing together (some of whom have never met), as well as our cookbook authors, kids programming and musical performances of every genre--we’ve got gospel and HipHop, pop and bluegrass, jazz and country, Americana and R&B. Bring the whole family, and come see what’s down South!
Presented by
Presented by
2026 Artists
Earth, Wind, and Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is a music institution. In 1969, music legend Maurice White birthed the music force named after the elements from his very own astrological charts. With soul as deep as the plant, Earth, Wind & Fire charted a history that will live on forever. They’ve scored eight number one hits and have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. They’ve released 23 albums; eight of those albums went Double Platinum and hit the Top 10, making them one of
the best-selling artists of all time. They’ve won an impressive nine GRAMMY® Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement (2012). In 2000, Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their lasting impact on popular music and, in 2019, their contributions to arts and culture were acknowledged in Washington DC with the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
The music of Earth, Wind & Fire is more alive than ever as they continue to inspire new audiences and thrill those who have been with them from the beginning. Like the elements in their name, Earth, Wind & Fire’s music has withstood ever-changing trends in the world and shows no sign of vanishing as they continue to create joy and uplifting music that will forever reach a sacred universal atmosphere. From the funky and infectious “Let’s Groove” to the timeless dance classic “September” to the heartfelt “Reasons,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s catalog of hits has become the soundtrack to many lives; now, then and forever.
Yonder Mountain String Band
YMSB formed in 1998 in Nederland, Colorado, as a pioneering progressive bluegrass (“jamgrass”) group. Today, they are celebrated for blending traditional bluegrass with rock, punk, and improvisation. Inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2023, the band has released over 10 studio albums and is renowned for high-energy live performances featuring extended jams, inventive improvisation, and collaborative songwriting.
Opening Nights at FSU, in collaboration with the Word of South Festival, is presenting Yonder Mountain String Band on the Adderly Amphitheater Stage at Cascades Park the evening of Saturday, April 25. The Currys will open for Yonder Mountain – we can’t wait to see you there!
Richard Powers
Richard Powers is the author of fourteen novels, including The Overstory, Bewilderment, and Orfeo. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. He lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Powers’ 2024 release, Playground, is the 2026 selection for One Book Tally, which is the community read created by the Midtown Reader. Check Midtown Readers website for details on where you can get your copy of Playground, as well as opportunities to discuss the book with Tallahassee neighbors. Then, join us at Word of South for Richard Powers’ appearance on Sunday April 26!
Stephanie Burt
Stephanie Burt is a poet, literary critic, and professor with nine published books, including two critical books on poetry and three poetry collections. Burt’s essay collection Close Calls with Nonsense was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In her book Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift, Burt offers an insightful and heartfelt critical appreciation of Taylor Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her 2024 Harvard course, Taylor Swift and Her World, Burt examines Swift’s particular form of genius – the collaborative and joyful genius of an artist who has mastered her craft. Her 2024 Harvard course explored Swift’s hits, deep cuts, outtakes, and re-recordings; it also looked into Swift’s precursors and works about her.
Burt’s other works include We Are Mermaids; Advice from the Lights; The Poem is You: 60 Contemporary American Poems and How to Read Them; The Art of the Sonnet; and more. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, The Believer, and the Boston Review.
Stephanie Burt will be interviewed at Word of South by writer and FSU professor Andrew Epstein.
Earth, Wind & Fire is a music institution. In 1969, music legend Maurice White birthed the music force named after the elements from his very own astrological charts. With soul as deep as the plant, Earth, Wind & Fire charted a history that will live on forever. They’ve scored eight number one hits and have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. They’ve released 23 albums; eight of those albums went Double Platinum and hit the Top 10, making them one of
the best-selling artists of all time. They’ve won an impressive nine GRAMMY® Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement (2012). In 2000, Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their lasting impact on popular music and, in 2019, their contributions to arts and culture were acknowledged in Washington DC with the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
The music of Earth, Wind & Fire is more alive than ever as they continue to inspire new audiences and thrill those who have been with them from the beginning. Like the elements in their name, Earth, Wind & Fire’s music has withstood ever-changing trends in the world and shows no sign of vanishing as they continue to create joy and uplifting music that will forever reach a sacred universal atmosphere. From the funky and infectious “Let’s Groove” to the timeless dance classic “September” to the heartfelt “Reasons,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s catalog of hits has become the soundtrack to many lives; now, then and forever.
YMSB formed in 1998 in Nederland, Colorado, as a pioneering progressive bluegrass (“jamgrass”) group. Today, they are celebrated for blending traditional bluegrass with rock, punk, and improvisation. Inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2023, the band has released over 10 studio albums and is renowned for high-energy live performances featuring extended jams, inventive improvisation, and collaborative songwriting.
Opening Nights at FSU, in collaboration with the Word of South Festival, is presenting Yonder Mountain String Band on the Adderly Amphitheater Stage at Cascades Park the evening of Saturday, April 25. The Currys will open for Yonder Mountain – we can’t wait to see you there!
Richard Powers is the author of fourteen novels, including The Overstory, Bewilderment, and Orfeo. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. He lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Powers’ 2024 release, Playground, is the 2026 selection for One Book Tally, which is the community read created by the Midtown Reader. Check Midtown Readers website for details on where you can get your copy of Playground, as well as opportunities to discuss the book with Tallahassee neighbors. Then, join us at Word of South for Richard Powers’ appearance on Sunday April 26!
Stephanie Burt is a poet, literary critic, and professor with nine published books, including two critical books on poetry and three poetry collections. Burt’s essay collection Close Calls with Nonsense was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In her book Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift, Burt offers an insightful and heartfelt critical appreciation of Taylor Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her 2024 Harvard course, Taylor Swift and Her World, Burt examines Swift’s particular form of genius – the collaborative and joyful genius of an artist who has mastered her craft. Her 2024 Harvard course explored Swift’s hits, deep cuts, outtakes, and re-recordings; it also looked into Swift’s precursors and works about her.
Burt’s other works include We Are Mermaids; Advice from the Lights; The Poem is You: 60 Contemporary American Poems and How to Read Them; The Art of the Sonnet; and more. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, The Believer, and the Boston Review.
Stephanie Burt will be interviewed at Word of South by writer and FSU professor Andrew Epstein.
