Name: Writing from Photographs with Sonja Livingston | Gates Library
Start: 2026-10-12
End: 2026-10-12

Seasons Noodles - Authentic Chinese cuisine in the heart of downtown Rochester featuring the freshest ingredients, delicious handmade noodles, and the family traditions that inspire it all.

The Mercantile on Main

We are a vibrant commercial kitchen facility and community that offers members services and support to start, adapt and grow their food business in the heart of downtown Rochester.

The Commissary

Patron Saint is a steakhouse in downtown Rochester that combines exceptional service, classic dishes, and a refined atmosphere for a truly memorable dining experience.

Patron Saint

At Unwine’d we offer more than just a drink, it’s a focus on YOUR experience – our goal is to help you kick back, relax, and make memories with family and friends while enjoying wines in a different way than ever before. Unwine’d is Rochester’s first and only interactive wine experience nestled in the heart of the historic midtown district in downtown Rochester, NY. As local Rochesterians we can’t wait to meet you and laugh the night away at one of the city’s many new, modern, and trendy hot spots! Cheers to you for letting yourself Unwine’d. Additional Info: Unwine’d will offer 40 varieties of wine via a set of unique pouring stations. After trying the wine at Unwine’d, customers will be able to purchase wines by the bottle at our neighboring establishment, 260 Wine + Spirits.

Unwine'd

GLG is a gaming lounge located at Innovation Square, 22nd Floor. GLG Hosts video game events and broadcasts. 12 High End Gaming PCs built so even NASA is jealous! At GLG we provide a variety of event rental options to meet all your needs! We consistently host in-person or virtual events for gaming, but it doesn’t stop there! Event options include: Birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, networking events, corporate events, cocktail parties & more! All of you avid gamers can book our facility to host all your gaming needs including D&D campaigns in one of our private rooms! You can book here: https://www.glgaminglounges.com/booking-form. For upcoming events & more socials check out: https://drum.io/greatlakesgaming.

Great Lakes Gaming

Branca Midtown is a modern Italian eatery and cocktail bar located in downtown Rochester, NY. Midtown is a love letter to traditional Italian flavors, with a pointed focus on hand-made and seasonal ingredients. Midtown has a well-curated yet approachable Italian wine selection. The cocktail menu mirrors the clean and fresh culinary approach, with a nod to the classics.

Branca Midtown

Hedonist Artisan Chocolates make handmade chocolate truffles in unique, innovative flavors. We use only the highest quality chocolate and fresh local ingredients. Our truffles are available individually or in beautifully packaged gift boxes.

Hedonist Artisan Chocolates

Garth Fagan Dance is an internationally acclaimed contemporary dance company founded in 1970 by visionary choreographer and educator Garth Fagan. Based in Rochester, New York, the company is recognized for its distinctive movement vocabulary, Fagan Technique™, which blends elements of modern, post-modern, ballet, and Afro-Caribbean dance into a powerful and innovative artistic form. Through more than five decades of performance, education, and community engagement, Garth Fagan Dance has become one of the most influential and enduring dance organizations in the United States. The company has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa, earning widespread critical acclaim for its athleticism, musicality, and emotional depth. Garth Fagan’s groundbreaking choreography gained global recognition through his Tony Award-winning work for the Broadway production of \*The Lion King\*, which continues to inspire audiences worldwide. Beyond performance, Garth Fagan Dance is deeply committed to arts education and cultural enrichment. Through classes, workshops, residencies, and outreach programs, the organization serves students, emerging artists, and community members of all ages and backgrounds. These initiatives foster creativity, discipline, self-expression, and an appreciation for the performing arts. Today, under the artistic leadership of Norwood Pennewell and Natalie Rogers-Cropper, Garth Fagan Dance continues to preserve and advance Garth Fagan’s artistic legacy while cultivating new generations of dancers and audiences. The company remains dedicated to artistic excellence, innovation, and community impact, using dance as a powerful vehicle for storytelling, cultural connection, and human expression. Throughout the year, audiences can engage with Garth Fagan Dance through performances, educational programs, and community events across Rochester, including Juneteenth celebrations, the company’s home season at Nazareth University, productions presented during the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival at the Garth Fagan Dance Studio Theater on Chestnut Street, and much, much, more!

Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.

Carbone's Pizzeria is a family-owned business with locations in Greece, North Greece and Hilton. It all began when a family relative, Domenic Carbone, who opened the very first Carbone's in Buffalo in 1978, suggested our family go into the pizza business. After careful thought and consideration, we opened our first location on Dewey Avenue in 1984. We were the first to bring to our area the popular pizza and wing combinations we call PAKS and are also the original home of Pizza Nite specials! Carbone's uses only the finest ingredients for our brick oven baked pizzas, mouthwatering subs, and original buffalo style chicken wings. Our dough and sauce are made fresh daily on the premises and our wings are always fresh, never frozen. Call Carbone's today, it's worth the trip!

Carbone's Pizzeria Dewey Avenue

Carbone's Pizzeria Hilton

Rochester, NY, is the third-largest metropolitan area in New York State, nestled along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. With a proud sports tradition, Rochester is home to iconic teams like the Rochester Red Wings (MiLB), Rochester Americans (AHL), Rochester Knighthawks (NLL), and Flower City Union (NPSL). Our vibrant sports culture thrives across all levels, from youth clubs and high schools to elite collegiate programs, creating a strong, year-round foundation for athletic excellence.

The Rochester NY Sports Commission champions Monroe County through the power of sports tourism. By attracting championships, invitationals, and tournaments across a wide range of disciplines, we help fuel the region’s economy and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Each year, Rochester welcomes a growing roster of sporting events, showcasing our top-tier facilities, supportive community, and dedication to teamwork on and off the field.

We invite event organizers, rights holders, and sports professionals to discover why Rochester and Monroe County are ideal destinations for your next competition or tournament. Let’s play in Rochester!

Visit Rochester

What can photographs tell us about our lives today, the traditions of our past, and the world we want to create? Which stories, emotions, details, secrets, and meanings lie just outside frame of the photograph?

Whether you’re creating memoir, poetry, family history, or a scrapbook—using photographs to inspire or accompany your work can add much-needed texture, focus, and intimacy. This session will offer tips and writing prompts to help get you started. You’ll have time to discuss your work in a supportive environment and come away with fresh ideas and drafts to refine or expand into longer projects. Bring 3-5 photographs (phone or hard copy) that intrigue, inspire, or hold great meaning for you.

This workshop is presented as part of our [Rochester Reads 25th Anniversary](https://writersandbooks.org/rochester-reads/) programming. Participants in this workshop will learn from Sonja Livingston, author of our 2026 Rochester Reads selection, *Ghostbread*.

**Sonja Livingston** is the author of four books of creative nonfiction, including the award- winning memoir Ghostbread, which has been adopted for classroom use around the country. Her work appears in The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, Salon, and elsewhere. Honors include a NYFA Fellowship, an Iowa Review Award, an Arts & Letters Prize, a VanderMey Nonfiction Prize, and an AWP Book Prize. Sonja is an associate professor in the MFA Program at Virginia Commonwealth University and teaches in the Postgraduate Program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Writing from Photographs with Sonja Livingston | Gates Library

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