One Book, One University Initiative Showcases Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power with Powerful Novel “The Address Book”

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of La Verne has selected author Dierdre Mask’s book, The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power, as the One Book, One University novel for the 2023-24 academic year. The university will be hosting two lectures with Mask at noon and 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11.

Mask is an accomplished writer and lawyer who graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She completed her master’s degree in writing from the National University of Ireland. Her novel expands upon the understanding of identity, wealth, race, and power based on a person’s street address and the various themes that arise through historical and contemporary examples.

The Address Book was a finalist for the 2020 Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction and was listed among the Top 10 Books of 2020 by Publishers Weekly. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Economist, Lit Hub, The Harvard Law Review, The New Hibernia Review, The Dublin Review, and Irish Pages. Originally from North Carolina, she lives in London with her husband and daughters.

Students in the First-year Learning Experience (FLEX) will be able to discuss the book with the author at noon in the Sports Science & Athletics Pavilion. Assistant Professor and Chair of the First-Year Rhetoric and Writing Program Josh Jensen will be moderating the event. An in-person community-wide lecture with the author will follow at 3:00 p.m. in the Morgan Auditorium. Book signing with the author will begin immediately following the community-wide lecture in Fasnacht Court.

For more than a decade, the University of La Verne has showcased a selection of books to first-year students and the greater community through this common reading initiative. The program aims to expand community discussions on impactful topics that enhance student reflection, understanding, and civic dialogue. Each book showcases themes tied to the university’s core values and enhances the lessons within the First-Year Learning Communities experience.