Philosophy Cafe in Rochester, NY

Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke (Live Reading 4/5)

Sat, Apr 25 · 11:00 AM EDT

Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, US

In the early 1900s, a young aspiring poet, Franz Xaver Kappus, wrote to the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, asking for guidance on his writing and life.

What followed was a series of ten letters written between 1903 and 1908. Only Rilke’s responses survive, but they form one of the most profound and enduring literary exchanges of the 20th century. In these letters, Rilke reflects on creativity, solitude, self-doubt, love, and what it means to live a meaningful life.

Join us over five weeks as we read Letters to a Young Poet, the collection of Rilke’s ten letters to Kappus.

We will be reading from the Stephen Mitchell translation (recommended for its clarity and readability), which you can find here:
https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Rainer-Maria-Rilke/dp/0394741048/

This is a live reading event - no preparation needed. We’ll read two letters each week (each takes about 5–10 minutes), followed by small group discussions.

You are welcome to join even if you haven't attended the previous weeks.

Format each week:
• Live reading of two letters
• Small group discussions (groups of ~4)
• Two 30-minute discussion rounds with rotating groups

Location:
University of Rochester – Wilson Commons Building
(Exact location details will be shared after RSVP, if its warm enough we may even decide to go outside onto the grass!)

Parking:
Parking on campus can be limited, but on weekends there is usually free street parking along Wilson Boulevard.

Looking forward to reading and discussing this beautiful and thought-provoking work together.

Kind regards,
Ryan

Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke (Live Reading 5/5)

Sat, May 2 · 11:00 AM EDT

Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, US

In the early 1900s, a young aspiring poet, Franz Xaver Kappus, wrote to the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, asking for guidance on his writing and life.

What followed was a series of ten letters written between 1903 and 1908. Only Rilke’s responses survive, but they form one of the most profound and enduring literary exchanges of the 20th century. In these letters, Rilke reflects on creativity, solitude, self-doubt, love, and what it means to live a meaningful life.

Join us over five weeks as we read Letters to a Young Poet, the collection of Rilke’s ten letters to Kappus.

We will be reading from the Stephen Mitchell translation (recommended for its clarity and readability), which you can find here:
https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Rainer-Maria-Rilke/dp/0394741048/

This is a live reading event - no preparation needed. We’ll read two letters each week (each takes about 5–10 minutes), followed by small group discussions.

You are welcome to join even if you haven't attended the previous weeks.

Format each week:
• Live reading of two letters
• Small group discussions (groups of ~4)
• Two 30-minute discussion rounds with rotating groups

Location:
University of Rochester – Wilson Commons Building
(Exact location details will be shared after RSVP, if its warm enough we may even decide to go outside onto the grass!)

Parking:
Parking on campus can be limited, but on weekends there is usually free street parking along Wilson Boulevard.

Looking forward to reading and discussing this beautiful and thought-provoking work together.

Kind regards,
Ryan

Philosophy Cafe meeting - Sat., May 9, 11:15 am

Sat, May 9 · 11:15 AM EDT

740 University Ave, Rochester, NY, US

Meeting info:

• When: Second Saturday of each month at 11:15 a.m.
• Where: Writers & Books, 740 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 (unless another location is announced).
• Map: https://goo.gl/maps/ix5sYdvhRNnP4gzf8
• More info: https://philosophycafe.net
• Contact: https://philosophycafe.net/contact

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Discussion topics:

• Philosophy; History of Philosophy
• Readings: https://philosophycafe.net/events/#next-meeting

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Philosophy Café in Rochester, New York is an informal group that reads philosophy texts and meets to discuss them.

Our meetings are open to “beginners” and “experts,” alike. No prior experience with philosophy is required or expected. If you have an interest in philosophy, we’d love for you to join us!

Reading Freud

Sun, Jun 7 · 2:00 PM EDT

Rochester, 205-237 Court St, Rochester, NY 14607, United States, NY, US

Hi Folks,

I am thinking of hosting a Freud reading group, beginning this summer. This group will be a little different to other ones I have hosted as it will be a private invite only reading group and it will be required for attendees to read a piece in advance before attending.

I am currently in graduate school for mental health and am reading already a fair bit of material in this space, so I should be able to act as a guide as well as a facilitator.

If this is something that interests you to dig deep into some of Freud's greatest hits, and you are willing to complete 20 page or so reading in advance of attending then it would be great to have you express interest in the link below:

https://forms.gle/9z5c3NMn1wCw1W2Y8

Once I get expressions of interest I will reach out to discuss whether you'd be a good fit for attendance. The date and time and location of this meetup event are placeholders and do not reflect the actual event details. The actual event details will be confirmed and shared with attendees once your attendance is confirmed.

I look forward to your interest!

Kind Regards,
Ryan