What if all of Rochester read the same book?

By Evan Dawson,

Elissa Orlando, Julie Williams

Published October 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM EDT

1 of 2 — Camille Dungy by Beowulf Sheehan

The poet and writer Camille Dungy (USA), New York, New York, May 30, 2019. Photograph © Beowulf Sheehan

Beowulf Sheehan/Beowulf Sheehan / Provided

Three people sit at a table in a radio talk show: a woman at left has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a purple sweatshirt and flashing a peace sign; a man at center has a light red beard and is wearing a ballcap, plaid short-sleeved shirt, green t-shirt and holding up a book with a green cover; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a blue hooded sweatshirt with white letters, jeans, sneakers and is holding up the same book.

2 of 2 — Tonya Noel and Tyler Barton with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"

Tonya Noel and Tyler Barton with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

George Yeadon / WXXI News

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

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