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I recommend that everyone read The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask (releasing 4/14/20).
I think we all know that some addresses quickly tell a lot about a person (for example, in the U.S., someone who lives in Beverly Hills brings to mind a different lifestyle than someone who lives in Missoula, Montana) but have you ever thought about the places in the world that don't have addresses, where addresses constantly change, or the future of the address? Deirdre Mask takes a deep dive into how politics, race, class, and status affect how addresses are created, decided upon, and enforced across the globe.
I learned the layered histories behind streets named after Sonny Carson, Bobby Sands, and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the insane addresses that "blind officers" deciphered to get The Royal Mail correctly delivered in the early 1900s; the meaning and creation of the ZIP (zoning improvement plan) code; the Philadelphia (even/odd side of street numbering) system; that Clement C. Moore once owned all of Chelsea, how Japan's writing style is reflected in their city layout/lack of street names; and the political history wrapped up in addresses.
The lack of an address means you can't vote, receive deliveries, and emergency medical workers will likely not find you. Not having an address is also a major obstacle for people trying to rise from poverty and homelessness (they cannot provide an address on job applications, receive notifications for particular health/employment opportunities/appointments that are only sent via mail, and they cannot open a bank account).
There are also some great sections about "less than glamorous" street names that made me think about the Gilmore Girls episode when the town wanted to change all the streets back to their original names. (It's also the Birkin bag and dollhouse delivery episode). Does anyone remember that one?
[Also pictured: Turkey Kielbasa and Peppers Skillet.]
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