12:00 What if all of Rochester read the same book?
1:00 Bringing down the temperature in our over-heated country, state, and neighborhoods
Back in 2001, Writers & Books asked a question: what if we all read the same book? What if we got together to discuss it, and meet the author, and consider its themes? Since then, one book each year earns that distinction. The program is now called "Rochester Reads," and it's back next week with the 2025 selection, "Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden" by Camille Dungy. We'll welcome Dungy to discuss her work in advance of her visit to Rochester.
Our guests:
- Camille Dungy, poet, Distinguished University Professor at Colorado State University and author of "Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden"
- Tyler Barton, artistic director at Writers & Books
- Tonya Noel, co-founder of Flower City Noire Collective
Then in our second hour, more Americans than ever say that they don't want friendships with people who vote differently than they do. They don't want family ties with people from a different political party. They don't want to know their neighbors. So how can we turn down the temperature and get back to seeing one another as human beings first, not just political creatures? Our guest is a thoughtful thinker and speaker who helps his community navigate difficult themes.
In studio:
- Reverend Colin Pritchard, pastor of The Presbyterian Church of Geneva NY
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
