Stephen Wade — Our Common Life: Folksong from the Front Porch to the Concert Hall (Music in American Life) - With Tom Cole
Stephen Wade discusses *Our Common Life: Folksong from the Front Porch to the Concert Hall*, an exploration of how American folk music develops through informal, community-based traditions and moves between rural and urban settings, eventually reaching concert halls. Drawing on original research and extensive photography, the book presents folk tradition as a form of creative freedom and a way to understand American life.
Wade’s account features musicians, collectors, and cultural figures including Doc Hopkins, Sid Harkreader, Ola Belle Reed, Bill Monroe, John Jackson, Huddie Ledbetter, Uncle Dave Macon, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Archie Green, and Fleming Brown. Wade, a musician, author, and Grammy-nominated recording artist, is known for his long-running performances *Banjo Dancing* and *On the Way Home*. He also wrote the award-winning *The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience*.
The conversation will be moderated by Tom Cole, a former NPR Arts & Culture editor and producer who previously worked at WAMU-FM and Voice of America. Cole has also hosted the Sunday-morning program *G-Strings* on WPFW-FM for more than 49 years.
When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Showtime: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Format: Stephen Wade in conversation with Tom Cole
Tickets: Free
Seating: First come, first served.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com. The venue recommends making requests ideally at least one week before the event, though it will try to accommodate requests made up to the event.
Ages: Not specified.
Run time: Not specified.
Related book: *Our Common Life: Folksong from the Front Porch to the Concert Hall (Music in American Life)* by Stephen Wade is listed in hardcover at $29.95. Its publication date is September 1, 2026, and its ISBN is 9780252059865.