Fund Drive Special: The Life and Politics of Jessica Mitford

30/09/2025 21 min

Listen "Fund Drive Special: The Life and Politics of Jessica Mitford"

Episode Synopsis

Jessica Mitford was a muckracking journalist and memoirist, radical activist and wit. Born to an English aristocratic family, she became a Communist and eloped with Winston Churchill’s nephew to fight in the Spanish Civil war. Two of her sisters were infamous fascists and friends with Hitler. Jessica, known as Decca, moved to the United States, became a civil rights activist in Oakland, and helped transform American journalism from of the depths of the McCarthy era. Peter Sussman, editor of a collection of Mitford’s letters, and the late radical journalist Conn Hallinan discuss Jessica Mitford’s singular life and contributions.
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