The Newport Folk Festival is one of the most iconic music events in U.S. history, so it's interesting that Rick Massimo is the first person to decide to write a book about it. 

After all, in addition to a span of artists ranging from Mississippi John Hurt and the Kingsmen to Pete Seger and the Pixies, the NFF is where Bob Dylan "went electric" in 1965. If you've made a name in folk — or in a variety of acoustic styles tangentially related — you've probably played Newport (and subsequently gotten bigger because of it).

Massimo, a former arts writer at the Providence Journal, was perfectly positioned to write such a book, and in 2017, his "I Got a Song: A History of the Newport Folk Festival" was published. In addition to history and anecdotes, Massimo deftly analyzes the shifts and dynamics over the years.

He'll discuss and sign copies of "I Got a Song" Tuesday in Westerly's Savoy Bookshop & Cafe — giving you just enough time to read and digest before this year's edition of the festival July 26-28.

Rick Massimo, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Savoy Bookshop & Cafe, 10 Canal St., Westerly; free; (401) 213-3901.