Where you live says a lot about you
‘Address Book” author Deidre
Just Sam, winner, performing in the fi rst American Idol virtual
competition due to Covid-19. American Idol
Caribbean Life, May 22-28, 2020 29
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Take a right turn at the
church.
If you’ve ever gotten those
words in the directions to
some business, you know
what comes following them:
a feeling of being totally, inescapably
lost. The feeling of
frustration because there were
actually two churches. The
anger that your GPS app took
you somewhere ridiculous.
The thought that, as in “The
Address Book” by Deirdre
Mask, having a good, strong,
easy-to-find address matters.
When was the last time you
got a letter in the mail?
That’s all Deirdre Mask
wanted to do: send her father
a birthday card with a letter
from her home in Ireland to
his in North Carolina. As she
pressed a stamp on the envelope,
she idly wondered who
got the fee – and that led her
to the Universal Postal Union
in Switzerland, which decides
such things, and to An Address
for Everyone, an organization
that showed her something
surprising: “most households
in the world don’t have street
addresses.”
That, of course, is not optimal:
at the very least, it means
difficulty in receiving mail
and packages from businesses
outside the household’s area.
Worse, economic impacts
reach far beyond an individual:
not having an address
could prevent access to financial
services, credit, and help
from government programs.
Studies show, in fact, that
the number one request from
homeless Americans is not a
home but an address.
As for you, well, it’s not just
the physical address of your
customer that matters in the
end. Where you place your
workplace is equally important
and shouldn’t be left to
chance, if you can help it.
Because a land address
equals power, the streetnumber
for your building matters
and you can thank the
Brits for that. Where you sit
on the block makes a difference,
for which you can thank
Philadelphia’s founders. Your
street name matters, especially
if you can manage to get
your name on the street sign;
it can tell others a lot about
the racial make-up of your
Mask. Deidre Mask
city; and, says Mask, “Street
names are, in a way, the perfect
propaganda tool.”
Have you ever been told that
they name streets after people
like you? You might consider
that a compliment, after reading
“The Address Book.”
That’s because this book is
fun, serious enough to be useful
to businessfolks who understand
that its subject matter
matters, but light enough with
plenty of gee-whiz factor. Who,
after all, notices this stuff?
You should, but unless
your street address is wacky
or borders on the profane
(and author Deirdre Mask
shows that there are those
kinds of addresses around) you
might‘ve shrugged and went
back to business when you
moved there. Here, you’ll see
why that may have been a
bad idea, how addresses might
influence others, and how you
can (maybe) fix it.
Reading this book is like
watching someone give directions.
It’s great for anyone
who’s ever left the GPS at
home and gotten truly lost in a
big city. “The Address Book” is
lighthearted and, for you, that
turns out just right.
“The Address Book:
What Street Addresses
Reveal About Identity,
Race, Wealth, and Power”
by Deirdre Mask
c.2020, St. Martin’s
Press $26.99 / $36.50
Canada 336 pages
Book cover of “The Address Book” by Deidre Mask.
Just Sam wins hearts at first
virtual American Idol competition
By Tangerine Clarke
American Idol winner, Just
Sam, a 20-year-old of Liberian
roots, clutched an electronic
tablet showing an image of her
grandmother, and screamed as
she was announced the winner
of season 18 American Idol by
host, Ryan Seacrest, at the first
viral recording due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
After impressing judges,
mega musicians, Katy Perry,
Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie,
and capturing the hearts of the
nation at the May 17 competition
finale, Samantha Diaz,
aka “Just Sam” who grew up
in a Fredrick Douglas Housing
Project in Harlem and began
singing on New York subway
while in elementary school to
support her grandmother, was
an inspiration throughout the
competition.
Sam’s grandmother who
became a hit with the judges,
adopted the singer and her
sister while the girls’ mother
served time in prison.
The velvety voice songstress
chose the song “Rise-Up” an
ode to her hardship and determination,
and won the Golden
Ticket to Hollywood at a Washington
DC audition.
A success that was almost
dashed due to Sam’s nerves at
her audition is a fitting example
of the saying “hard work pays
off,” for the young woman who
continued to have a positive
attitude and remain optimistic
about her future, which is part
of what had drawn viewers to
her throughout the season.
She made it to the top 40 at
the Hawaii taping, after challenging
herself to sing “Como
La Flor”; a Spanish ballad
despite not speaking the language.
Sam, in an Instagram post,
conveyed how grateful she was
to her grandmother. “My grandmother
is the only woman on
this earth that really, truly
knows me. There isn’t enough
money in the world to repay
her for all that she’s done for
me. I’m going to be big someday
and that’s all thanks to her.
She just wants to see me make
it and I swear I’m almost there
right now, all the moves that
I’m making is for my grandmother,”
the winner had said.
The young singer is expected
to gain millions of dollars and
Hollywood contracts as part of
her winning prizes.