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