Inaugurated in 2001 with Ernest J. Gaines’ award‐winning novel, A Lesson before Dying, Rochester Reads is an annual city‐wide tradition. With over 25 community‐based activities delivered during the month of October, Rochester Reads inspires readers to deepen self‐understanding, engage thoughtfully with important issues, and connect with one another through the shared experience of literature. The program culminates with a multi‐day visit from the featured Rochester Reads author.
OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2022
Jason Mott’s 2021 National Book Award‐winning novel, Hell of
a Book, is our featured 2022 Rochester Reads selection. Called “brilliant and inventive” by The Sunday Times (UK) and an “unflinching meditation on racism, violence, and navigating life as a Black man in America . . . a surreal and searing triumph” by Shelf Awareness for Readers, Hell of a Book is at once about family, love of parents and children, art and money. It also is about the nation’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news.
“A surrealist feast of imagination that’s brimming with very real horrors, frustrations, and sorrows . . . his is an achievement of American fiction that rises to meet this particular moment with charm, wisdom, and truth.” — BookPage
Bestselling author, National Book Award Winner, Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction Winner, Pushcart Prize nominee, NAACP Image Award nominee, and Carnegie Medals For Excellence Longlist nominee, Jason Mott is the author of two poetry collections: We Call This Thing Between Us Love and “…hide behind me…” and four novels: The Returned, The Wonder of All Things, The Crossing, and Hell Of A Book.
Reader’s Guide to Hell of a Book
Community Events, October 6 – November 15
Feature Events with Jason Mott, November 1-3
Rochester Reads Reception
Mingle with fellow book lovers over light hors d’oeuvres, wine, and beverages. Your ticket includes reserved, priority seating at N. K. Jemisin’s keynote. Reception will be held at The Strong […]
Find out more »N.K. Jemisin Keynote & Book Signing
Welcome by Annette Jiménez Gleason, Senior Program Officer at Rochester Area Community Foundation; introduction by scholar Dr. Gaya Shakes This is an in-person event held at The Strong National Museum […]
Find out more »Rochester Reads Book Festival
Welcome by NY State Senator Samara G. Brouk Browse indie bookstores and small press publishers’ tables and acquaint yourself with area cultural resources. Enjoy pop-up events, author signings, panels, and […]
Find out more »Program Sponsors
Charter Communications
Nocon & Associates: A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
Konar Properties
The Pike Company and Elisabeth Judson
St. John Fisher University
The Penfield Public Library and The Friends of the Penfield Public Library
Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
HBT Architects
The Strong National Museum of Play
Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library
Memorial Art Gallery
SPA Capital Management, LLC
Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
Nox Cocktail Lounge
Learn about our corporate sponsorship opportunities. For more information or to donate, email Alison Meyers.
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