The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

Deirdre Mask is an American lawyer, writer, and occasional academic living in London, England. The Address Book is her debut book, but her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Guardian. Mask graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude and attended the University of Oxford. She then returned to Harvard for law school and was selected as editor of the Harvard Law Review. Following a move to Britain, she completed an MA in writing at the National University of Ireland. Mask has taught at Harvard and the London School of Economics.

Mask’s personal subject position as an African American woman living in London makes her uniquely suited to write and research The Address Book. Mask’s experience with racism and other systems of oppression in the United States informs her research on street names, and her life in London provides a distinct perspective on the politics of British addressing systems. As a lawyer and former editor of the Harvard Law Review, she has a deep understanding of the nuance of the American legal systems underpinning her arguments. Mask’s background as a contributor to newspapers enables her to craft clear narratives with compelling characters while also conveying information and arguments.