Born in Ecuador and raised in the Bronx, Oakland poet Oscar Bermeo has been spending a fair amount of time discovery his new city and being inspired by The Town's rich narrative.

“Oakland is full of stories" he says. "Everywhere I turn there are people sharing out their lives in rich descriptive language that is just waiting to get documented. Sometimes, they share it out with me and when I tell them I’m a writer they are more than happy to let me have creative license with their life stories."