Jessica Mitford — The American Way of Death with Mimi Pond

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In this follow-up to our 2021 episode on Nancy Mitford, we’re turning the spotlight on her younger sister, Jessica (a.k.a. “Decca”) Mitford, an activist and journalist whom Time magazine called “the queen of the muckrakers.” Her influential 1963 nonfiction title The American Way of Death exposed corruption in the funeral industry and was lauded by David Bowie as one of his “Top 100” favorite books, whereas her 1960 childhood memoir, Hons and Rebels, left her own family seeing red! Joining us in conversation is Mimi Pond, whose recently-published graphic biography Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me adds new color (literally) to the Mitford mythology with wry commentary and artwork perfectly suited to England’s most outrageous debutantes.
Mentioned in this episode:
Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me (bookshop.org/p/books/do-admit-the-mitford-sist…) by Mimi Pond
Hons and Rebels (bookshop.org/p/books/hons-and-rebels-jessica-m…) by Jessica Mitford
The American Way of Death (bookshop.org/p/books/the-american-way-of-death…) by Jessica Mitford
David Bowie’s Top 100 Favorite Books (nypl.org/blog/2016/01/11/david-bowies-top-100-…)
The Pursuit of Love (bookshop.org/p/books/the-pursuit-of-love-love-…) by Nancy Mitford
Life in A Cold Climate (bookshop.org/p/books/life-in-a-cold-climate-na…) by Laura Thompson
Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford (bookshop.org/p/books/decca-the-letters-of-jess…) edited by Peter Y. Sussman
Lifeitselfmanship: Or, How to Become a Precisely Because Man (abebooks.com/first-edition/Lifeitselfmanship-b…) by Jessica Mitford
Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No 39 (lostladiesoflit.com/podcast/nancy-mitford-the-…) on Nancy Mitford
Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 65 (lostladiesoflit.com/podcast/65-lucia-berlin-a-…) on Lucia Berlin
Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 187 (lostladiesoflit.com/podcast/187-kay-boyle-fift…) on Kay Boyle
Nancy Mitford: A Portrait by Her Sisters (youtube.com/watch?v=3kfx_VYgJSM) documentary
Asthall Manor (houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/mitford-sisters-a…)
Chatsworth House (chatsworth.org/visit-chatsworth/chatsworth-est…)
Decca and the Dectones (youtube.com/watch?v=FKqQIhTCTzY)’ rendition of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”
“Desert Island Discs” interview (youtube.com/watch?v=ijSddOjEdac) with Diana Mosley
Mimi Pond’s Mitford sisters merchandise (mimipond.com/shop/p/mitford-sisters-pins)
Over Easy (bookshop.org/p/books/over-easy-mimi-pond/11365…) by Mimi Pond
The Customer is Always Wrong (bookshop.org/p/books/the-customer-is-always-wr…) by Mimi Pond

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