Where You From?

Where You From? Tales of Sandtown is a poignant collection of essays that captures the essence of growing up in Sandtown-Winchester, one of Baltimore’s most storied and complex neighborhoods, during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Through the eyes of a young boy coming of age, these essays chronicle the challenges, joys, and bittersweet truths of life in a community shaped by systemic inequality, deep cultural roots, and unyielding resilience. From playing a hood version of Pokémon and trying to impress neighborhood girls, to staring down the barrel of a police officer's gun, to watching a friend's house engulfed in flames on the evening news, each piece offers an intimate portrait of navigating identity, dreams, youth, and survival in a city that gave as much as it took.

With raw honesty and lyrical storytelling, Where You From? invites readers to witness the beauty and complexity of a community often misrepresented or forgotten, highlighting its humanity while grappling with its struggles. This is a Baltimore boy’s love letter to Sandtown and the people who call it home, asking: How does where we’re from shape who we become?