PEN World Voices, a weeklong international festival of literature, culminated on Saturday, May 3 with a cabaret at Webster Hall. It was the second year for the cabaret, which featured artists who combined music and the written word in songs and theatrical performances. The opening act was legendary Bill T. Jones, who performed a solo dance to Dylan Thomas's poem, "The Ballad of the Long-Legged Bait." He was followed by a Hungarian singer, Bea Palya. Then, author Wesley Stace performed his own ballads while strumming a well-worn guitar. After that, Bosnian author, Alexsandar Hemon read excerpts from The Lazarus Project, his recently published novel. Finally, Swiss performer Erika Stucky, whose twinkling impish gaze recalls that of the inimitable Bette Midler, strutted onstage wearing pigtails and carrying an accordion while playing on a spade, then delivered a series of yodels.
PEN World Voices is a program of the PEN American Center whose ongoing mission is to defend writers and the ideal of freedom of expression around the globe. This year, its particular aim is to free dozens of writers and journalists imprisoned in China before the Olympic Games begin.
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