As you may have noticed earlier this month, I’ve been paying attention to license plates and signs while idling in traffic. While negotiating neighborhood streets in south Orlando, I noticed a street sign labeled Chaucer and shortly thereafter Voltaire,† two favorite classic authors.
This came as a surprise because Orlando is better known for family entertainment, not classical arts. Orchestras, opera, and ballet have died from indifference. WMFE, the local Public Broadcasting studio and station, collapsed. Hereabouts, Longfellow is thought to be the tall, floppy-eared pal of Mickey Mouse.
Upon returning home, I looked up this mysterious literary neighborhood and discovered references to nineteen authors, more precisely, sixteen names, two novels, and an epic poem. Two byways puzzled me, Jordan Avenue and Brice Street. I’m unable to think of significant writers matching the names, which indeed may be naught. You may know better.
So before our book-burning Governor DeSantis bans this defiant neighborhood, check out the names. (Click the map to expand it.) A list of authors follows.
† Little known Mystery factoid: Voltaire (real name François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778)), arguably was one of the earliest writers of science fiction and detective fiction.
| Quintilian | Plato | Orwell | Zola (Nana) | Marlowe |
| Linton | Keats | Ibsen | Hawkes | Galsworthy |
| Forester | Dickens | Chesterton | Longfellow (Evangeline) | |
| Browning | Voltaire | Chaucer | Tennyson | Lewis (Arrowsmith) |
Clearly a developer who was both cultured and subversive! Interesting note about Voltaire!
ReplyDeleteJanice, I don't recall much about details, but one of Voltaire's characters (advisor to the king or some such) makes deductions from observations, much as Holmes might.
DeleteFanny Brice comes to mind, but she was a comedienne and may be too recent (died in 1951). Jordan Baker is Daisy Buchanen's friend in The Great Gatsby. These are both wild guesses, but who wants a TAME guess? Happy Father's Day, all.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve. Happy Father's Day in return.
DeleteOf course, Jordan could be their nod of the head to the Jordan River or Jordan the country... you never know.
ReplyDeleteAs for Brice - could be anyone from Fanny to a Belgium artist named Ignace Brice who did a lot of portraits including one of Napoleon - pretty nice work. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignace_Brice)
BTW, there are Goethe Streets in Chicago, Cincinnati, Buffalo, and - wait for it - Bruce, SD! Someone in Bruce (pop. 240) had a mind of their own.
You're right, Eve. And where's Oscar Wilde and Victor Hugo? So few literary streets.
DeleteMaybe those two are self published.
ReplyDeleteHa. I bet you're right and they self-published their street name.
DeleteI lived for ten years on Zola Lane. The streets that crossed and connected to it were named Orwell Lane, Huxley Lane, Fitzgerald Lane, Tolstoy Circle, and Kafka Circle.
ReplyDeleteKafka Circle! I'd be afraid to live there.
DeleteI was thinking Russians weren't properly represented, but your list helps compensate. Personally, I'd vote for Turgenev. I especially like seeing Huxley in your list. What city were you in?
Round Rock, Texas. Every time I passed Kafka Circle, I was glad I didn't live there.
DeleteLooking back at the map, I forgot about Pasternak Drive and Silone Circle. I hadn't heard of Silone. I had to look him up.
I recently moved from a neighbourhood where all the streets were named after Bronte sisters' books! The main artery is Bronte Rd; there was Wuthering Heights Way, Stockbridge, Colonel William Pky...I think the names were lost on most people, but if you knew your lit, it was quite fun :)
ReplyDeleteWhen driving home, Melodie, did you hum Kate Bush songs?
ReplyDelete