To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Where You From?: Tales of Sandtown—a collection of personal essays exploring how growing up in Baltimore's Sandtown neighborhood shaped identity, creativity, and a sense of belonging—this interactive creative writing workshop invites participants to reflect on the neighborhoods, streets, homes, and community spaces that have influenced their own lives. Inspired by the book's themes of place, memory, family, and community, participants will engage in guided writing prompts, discussion, and storytelling exercises that help transform personal memories into compelling narratives. Whether they grew up in Baltimore or elsewhere, attendees will leave with practical writing tools, a deeper appreciation for the stories rooted in the places they call home, and the beginning of a piece they can continue developing beyond the workshop.

This free workshop is sponsored by Create Baltimore.

Event Organizer

Albert Phillips Jr. Albert Phillips Jr. is a Baltimore-based writer and educator whose work explores the layered alchemy of Black life, past and present, with a focus on identity, place, and memory. Writing from the streets, corners, and cafés of Baltimore City and its surrounding neighborhoods, his voice is grounded in lived experience and a deep commitment to storytelling as both craft and community practice.

Albert holds a Bachelor of Science in Print Journalism from Morgan State University, a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore.

In 2020, he published his debut book, Y’all Hiring? The Black Teen’s Guide to Navigating Employment, which has supported thousands of young people across the United States in developing workforce readiness skills. Where You From? Tales of Sandtown (2025) is a personal collection of essays centered in the late 90s and early 2000s, reflecting on growing up Black in one of Baltimore’s most storied neighborhoods and offering an intimate look at the intersections of identity, environment, and coming of age.

His latest project, The Adventures of a Northeast Baltimore Boy, is his graduate thesis project completed as part of the MFA program in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts at the University of Baltimore. It follows his coming-of-age journey between West and Northeast Baltimore, exploring identity, masculinity, family, and the lasting impact of the neighborhoods that shaped him.

His writing has been featured in Black Enterprise, The Afro, Baltimore Fishbowl, and other online and print publications, and has earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Mayor Brandon Scott for his contributions to storytelling, youth advocacy, and community impact.

Learn more about Albert and his work at www.AlbertPhillipsJr.com