Tongo Eisen-Martin is the current Poet Laureate of San Francisco, his hometown. He's also an educator and an activist. We talk about the influence of his activist mother and the role she played in his life. Tongo discusses major issues in the city, including gentrification, homelessness, and mass incarceration, all of which have impacted his writing. Tongo speaks about poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, an important figure on the scene as he came up, and Thich Nhat Hanh, another vital influence on his life and work. Finally, we share our appreciation of John Coltrane.