The common thread between the thirteen short stories in “Insurrections” is their setting: a fictional town called Cross River, located in Maryland not far from Washington, D.C. Author Rion Amilcar Scott’s hometown fits a similar description– he grew up in Silver Spring and attended Howard University. His roots in the region influenced his work in direct ways, like in the story “Juba,” which was inspired by an experience he had while walking down Georgia Avenue, or “Three Insurrections,” which describes the riots that took place in the city after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. We talk with Rion Amilcar Scott about “Insurrections” and how the Washington region shaped his writing.