Ryan Sutton The saying goes, "Write what you know." My writing dwells in the experiences that formed me, the places I have visited, and the people who made me. While my book has poetry, it is not a poetry book; it is a narrative of how lives unite, how love is expressed, and how it holds fast through the darkest times. Though I grew up in Grass Valley and still return to a family home there to retreat and reflect, I live, work, and write in East Hollywood. This book was born out of that urban landscape, written in the quiet spaces of a bustling neighborhood where life is lived deeply and memory is firmly archived. Yet, it also visits the rural landscape and lifestyle of Nevada County. It is a testament to a love that endures, anchored by the landscape of my youth and carried through the streets of the city.