Residents of State College will be treated to a celebration of the written language as the first annual Wordstock comes to a poetic beginning today.

Organizers Fred Ramsey and Elaine Meder of Webster's Bookstore Café expect the event to unite writers with students and members of the community by way of the weeklong writing festival.

The festival will highlight the literary arts through an array of poetry readings, book signings, and workshops to be held downtown in various locations.

Ramsey and Meder hope that each of the free events will draw a large audience and generate a greater interest in writing.

In a community that openly welcomes events such as the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Ramsey and Meder expect a warm reception for Wordstock.

While there are many outlets for the musical and visual arts in State College, little has been coordinated for writers and lovers of literature, Ramsey said.ss

The idea for the festival came to him in the form of the silly pun, Wordstock, a realization that no event of this kind exists in the area, he said.

He also wanted to focus on an art that is often overlooked by showing that there really is a writing community here.

"Arts Fest hasn't been able to do what we are trying to achieve," Ramsey said.

Unlike other coordinators of similar events, he is more interested in introducing people to literature in an interactive and participatory manner.

"Ultimately, we want people to form a connection with other writers. We wanted to pull together energies," Meder said.

Interest in Wordstock quickly spread, causing individuals and organizations to energetically support idea, Meder said.

Ramsey and Meder were easily able to include esteemed artists such as Jeffrey Frazier, David Axe, Henry Giroux and Kate Light on the Wordstock roster.

Penn State students, Rachel Stewart (freshman-visual arts) and Allison Grove (freshman-art education), feel as though their experiences at the university have led to only a mild exposure to the literary arts.

"I've met a lot of people who are artistic," Grove said. "People who write can put their emotions into art, which is amazing."

Stewart and Grove both said tshey recognized a need for more of a focus on writing as an art.

They are both looking forward to hearing the work of the Wordstock artists today.

They intend to learn more about writing style and the experiences that lead to works of literature.

Whether "deadly serious" or "strangely silly," Wordstock will provide a forum for anyone wanting to learn or celebrate the art of writing.

The programs are open to people of all ages and ranges of talent in an attempt to maintain the feeling of a "community based, community wide" festival, Ramsey said.

Wordstock will culminate July 11 with a fundraising dance to benefit various art organizations in State College.