Writers & Books

09/25/2026

Phillis Wheatley Library is another partner that forms part of our new program, StoryLab, which is bringing free drop-in sessions on graphic novel writing for youth ages 9-13. We cannot wait for this program to start in October!

Thank you to our supporters — the Palma Foundation, Rochester Area Community Foundation, and the John F. Wegman Fund for helping us deliver free library programs for young people this academic year.

Please join us for Story Lab, a program of Writers & Books, providing free afterschool creative writing and story-themed workshops designed to spark imagination! For more information- https://writersandbooks.org/product/story-lab-graphic-novels/

09/24/2026

We hope you will all join us for this very special event on Sept. 30!

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Alex Sanchez’s “Rainbow Boys,” a groundbreaking novel that helped change the landscape of LGBTQIA+ young adult literature and gave so many q***r young people the chance to see themselves reflected in a book. Twenty-five years later, the book’s impact endures.

Alex will be in conversation with the incredible Linda Sue Park (Newbery Medal winner “A Single Shard” and the NY Times bestseller “A Long Walk to Water.”)

If you’re in Rochester, come on over and join us in person. If you’re not, you can join us virtually from wherever you are. We’d love to see you there.

And our own Ampersand Books will have copies of the beautiful 25th anniversary edition of Rainbow Boys available, with a new cover and limited-edition sprayed stencil edges.

This event is supported by the Rainbow Quill, an initiative of Writers & Books to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices.

In person: https://writersandbooks.org/product/alex-sanchez-rainbow-boys-25th-anniversary/

Virtual: https://writersandbooks.org/product/alex-sanchez-rainbow-boys-virtual/

09/24/2026

We are so excited to launch our new drop-in program, StoryLab, with Sully Branch Library! We hope the participants (ages 8-14) have an incredible learning experience. It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with libraries.

And many thanks to the Palma Foundation, Rochester Area Community Foundation, and the John F. Wegman Fund for making this work possible.

We're pleased to announce that the Sully Branch Library and Writers & Books are collaborating on a new program! The Story Lab is a weekly, one hour, drop in event for children ages 8 to 14, that is presented free of charge. This seasons theme is Hip Hop Club focusing on Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun. Participants will learn how to make their own music and art from teacher Lamar the Therapist. Our first session begins on Tuesday, October 13th at 4pm. For more information check out the following link: https://writersandbooks.org/product/story-lab-hip-hop-club-ages-8-14/

09/22/2026

Poems can bring people together, mark major occasions like weddings, and describe the specificities of love. Do you have a favorite poem about marriage? Share it with us in the comments!

Catch this pair of world-class poets at Writers & Books this Thursday, 9/24!

Mihaela Moscaliuc is the author of the poetry collections Heartmoor (Alice James Books, August 2026), Cemetery Ink (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021), Immigrant Model (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015) and Father Dirt (Alice James Books, 2010), translator of Liliana Ursu’s Clay and Star (Etruscan Press, 2019) and Carmelia Leonte’s The Hiss of the Viper (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2015), editor of Insane Devotion: On the Writing of Gerald Stern (Trinity University Press, 2016), and co-editor (with Michael Waters) of Fruits of the Earth: Harvest Poems (Knopf, 2025) and Border Lines: Poems of Migration (Knopf, 2020). Moscaliuc is the recipient of a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship, two Pushcart prizes (’24, ’25), two Glenna Luschei Awards from Prairie Schooner, two Individual Artist Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and a Fulbright fellowship to Romania.

Michael Waters’ recent books include Pagan Sky: New and Selected Poems 2000-2025 (BOA Editions, 2026), Sinnerman (Etruscan Press, 2023), The Bicycle and the Soul: Prose on Poetry (Tiger Bark Press, 2024), and several co-edited (with Mihaela Moscaliuc) anthologies, including Fruits of the Earth: Harvest Poems (Knopf, 2025) and Border Lines: Poems of Migration (Knopf, 2020). His poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review, Paris Review, Yale Review, Kenyon Review, The Pushcart Prize and Best American Poetry. Recipient of Guggenheim, NEA, and Fulbright Fellowships, he lives without a cell phone in Ocean, NJ.

09/22/2026

Have you read the latest issue of 585 Magazine?

If not, check it out, and turn to page 14! The article covers what brought our executive Director, Michael Solís, to Rochester to work for to Writers & Books. It also explores some of the incredible work happening at W&B.

A huge thank you to 585 magazine for the feature, to the incredible Sarah Mead for telling the story, and to Tomas Flint for the beautiful photography.

If you don’t have access to the physical magazine, you can read the article online here: https://585mag.com/magazines/writers-books-brings-on-michael-solis-as-executive-director/?site

09/21/2026

We’re bringing back our one-of-a-kind high school poetry contest for 2027.

Open now until December 1, any teen (age 13-18) is welcome to send us a poem on theme of ENOUGH. The winning poet will get $100, an offer to read their poem at the 2027 Flower City Poetry Fest, and their song will be adapted for a choral ensemble and performed on stage.

Learn more about the contest on our website!
https://writersandbooks.org/product/2027-teen-poetry-contest/

Thanks to Rochester Oratorio Society and Highland Park Conservancy for partnering with us again for the 2027 Flower City Poetry Festival on June 10, 11, and 12!

09/20/2026

Come on a journey with me as I run the Rochester Half Marathon (13.1 miles)!

I put together some clips from today’s race, from start to finish, so you can experience some of Rochester’s beauty…and quirkiness…on an absolutely gorgeous day.

There were ups and downs (literally), and it wasn’t always easy, but I persevered and made it across the finish line! And so did my colleague Tyler Barton!

We ran today in support of Writers & Books and our Joe Flaherty Organizational Resilience Initiative, which is helping us build a stronger reserve for the organization’s long-term resilience and sustainability.

It’s not too late to contribute! Even a few bucks goes a long way for a literary arts non-profit as we celebrate 45 years of Writers & Books and honor the legacy of our founder, Joe Flaherty. You can learn more and donate here: https://writersandbooks.org/joe-flaherty-organizational-resilience-initiative/

Thanks to everyone who cheered us on, supported our run, or contributed to the cause. We are forever grateful!

09/19/2026

Tomorrow is race day, rain or…rain! 🌧️

The Writers & Books team is running in honor of the Joe Flaherty, and there is still time to contribute to the reserve fund we’ve named in his honor! We’ve recently raised the over $3,000 for this initiative (for a total of nearly $50k raised this year!), and every bit counts toward reaching our $250k target!

After the race, we will be updating our website with a list of all contributors to the Resilience Initiative. If you have $20 to donate, you’ll see your name there! 😃

Many thanks to everyone for your generosity as we celebrate Joe’s legacy and 45 years of Writers & Books!

To learn more and give, please visit: https://writersandbooks.org/joe-flaherty-organizational-resilience-initiative/

Also, a few people encountered a glitch when trying to donate online last week. That has been fixed!

09/18/2026

The Visiting Authors series at Writers & Books continues all year round! These events are always offered at "pay-what-you-can" admission thanks to Genesee Valley Council on the Arts.

Last night we were honored to have Sherry Dumont share her late father's memoir about his time spent in a Vietnamese POW camp, FOREST OF DARKNESS, for . And we kicked off the year with MAN MADE by Steve Majors!

Next week we have poets Mihaela Moscaliuc and Michael Waters on 9/24: https://writersandbooks.org/product/michael-waters-and-mihaela-moscaliuc/

The following week, we're celebrating the 25th Anniversary of RAINBOW BOYS by Alex Sanchez, named a NYT Best YA Book of All Time! https://writersandbooks.org/product/alex-sanchez-rainbow-boys-25th-anniversary/

On 10/7 we're teaming up with Western New York Comic Arts for a special event with David F. Walker who wrote a graphic novel about the life of Frederick Douglass: https://writersandbooks.org/product/david-f-walker/

And finally, we're excited for an ASL-interpreted event with life-long ASL Interpreter and author Bill Pugin on 10/17 (RIT/NTID, Rochester School for the Deaf): https://writersandbooks.org/product/bill-pugin/

Join us this fall! All of these upcoming events will be livestreamed on zoom.