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Marc Fischer@marc-fischer.bsky.social · last wk.

Now available Public Collectors: People on Your Block. This is a 100+ question self-assessment guide to help you gauge your awareness of your neighbors and how deeply connected you are to the people that live on your block. Read it with neighbors! $6.00 ($2.00 PDF) from halfletterpress.com.

The cover of People on Your Block by Marc Fischer, published by Public Collectors, showing a very blue sky with the moon in the distance, part of a building, trees, and a light pole.A spread from the booklet showing the sky with dramatic clouds, part of a tree and multi-unit home and the first page of text: How many of these questions can you answer about people on your block? What are the names of your next-door neighbors? If you live in an apartment or multi-unit building, what are the names of your neighbors on the other floors or sections of the building? What are the names of your neighbors who live two doors down? How many other neighbors do you know by name? How many neighbors do you know by both their first and last name? Which neighbors have children? Do you know their children’s names? Do you know only neighbors that are close in age to you, or do you talk to neighbors that are a variety of ages? Which of your neighbors own pets? What are the names of their pets? Are any of them service animals? How many neighbors have pets whose names you know, but not the names of the neighbors that own them? Which neighbors drive a car? What kind of car do they drive? Is it normally parked on the street? Can you match cars to people and houses? How long have your neighbors lived on your street? Which neighbors know the history of your block going back 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or even more years? How long have they lived in your neighborhood? How long have they lived in your city? What languages do your neighbors speak and can you communicate with them in a language that you both speak? Do you have any neighbors with disabilities? Are any of your neighbors blind, deaf, non-verbal, or challenged by mobility limitations? Do your neighbors own their homes or do they rent?Which buildings on your block are being used as Airbnbs or other forms of short-term rental? Which buildings are owned by people living in other cities, states or countries? Which buildings are owned and managed by a corporation? Which neighbors have solar panels or other forms of off-grid energy they can draw from? What are your neighbors’ occupations? Are any of your neighbors doctors, nurses, lawyers, tech workers, teachers, therapists, dentists, chefs, mechanics, plumbers, electricians, maintenance workers, metal scrappers, social workers, architects, writers, artists, financial advisors, engineers, musicians, athletes, actors or designers? What other forms of expertise do your neighbors have? Which neighbors can you hire, and which neighbors can you barter skills or services with? Which of your neighbors own a ladder, a lawn mower, a snow blower, a leaf blower, a generator, a tire pump, a battery charger, a drill, welding tools, a chainsaw, a water pump, and hand tools? Which neighbors drive a truck or other utility vehicle? Which neighbors drive a tow truck? Which neighbors know how to fix a car, bicycle, motorcycle, skateboard, or scooter? Which neighbors maintain a garden and grow their own food? Which neighbors do not have a garden but know a lot about plants and gardening? Which neighbors understand canning and other methods of food preservation? Which neighbors know how to mend clothes or fix appliances or electronics?The back cover of the booklet (excerpt of text): This booklet is a self-assessment guide to help you gauge your awareness of your neighbors and how deeply connected you are to the people that live on your block. It’s intended for private personal use. I’ve lived in the same house in Chicago with my wife Jen for 14 years. For about half of these years, I did not know many of my neighbors. Some events changed this. A development was proposed next to our property, and we felt it would be detrimental to the block. We went door to door to get signatures to oppose it. We met many neighbors, and we defeated a terrible project. We also worked with a neighbor to collect signatures to get speed humps for our street. We collected enough signatures because we knew a lot of neighbors. Three years later the city still hasn’t given us speed humps, but at least we still know all those neighbors. Six years ago we adopted a small, cute dog that we walk. He helps us meet our neighbors. I know the names of over 35 nearby dogs and about 60 people on my block. Finally, I became one of the moderators in a private social media group for our neighborhood. It has over 11,000 members. Some of them live on our block. What would it mean to know every neighbor’s name? I talk to neighbors, but I don’t know everyone. Many people do not know their neighbors but would like to. This publication contemplates what a more detailed ‘knowing’ might be. I want to consider more ways our neighbors could be an immediate resource—particularly should a crisis occur, and as an alternative to depending on police or government agencies to solve problems that we may be able to solve with others through shared labor, mutual aid, understanding and kindness. I’ve seen unlikely friendships develop on my block, and have experienced them myself. I’ve never felt as deeply connected to a place as I do now. I have answers for most of the questions in this booklet.