“The ballroom communist”:

How did Jessica Mitford go from being an elite British debutante to fighting on the front lines of America’s early civil rights struggles? While two of her older sisters befriended Adolph Hitler, Jessica came to Oakland, organized the first investigation into police brutality, helped desegregate all-white neighborhoods, and became a famous muckraking journalist. This astonishing tale is vividly told in Mimi Pond’s new graphic novel “Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me” [Drawn & Quarterly].

Given America’s current context of rising fascism, government repression, and historical erasure, the timing of this book could not be more appropriate. Although one of her older sisters teasingly called Jessica a “ballroom communist,” her lifelong struggles for racial and economic justice illustrate a true commitment to solidarity.

In addition to discussing The Mitfords, this episode also covers Pond’s earlier graphic novels about her career as an Oakland diner waitress in the late 1970s and early 80s. In “Over Easy” and “The Customer is Always Wrong,” Pond shares wild, behind-the-scenes memories of the sex-and-drug-fueled restaurant where she worked while trying to make it as an aspiring cartoonist.

Listen to the episode via Apple, SoundCloud, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. Don’t forget to follow East Bay Yesterday’s Substack newsletter to stay updated on upcoming tours, events, and other local history news.

Mimi Pond didn’t want her book about the Mitford sisters to be a series of “talking heads,” so she got inspiration from a wide variety of 20th century art styles, including Soviet propaganda posters. [Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly]

Mimi Pond’s “obsession” with the Mitford sisters started when her mom bought a copy of Jessica Mitford’s 1963 bestseller “The American Way of Death.” Check out Mimi’s Instagram page for info on upcoming book release events in the Bay Area. [Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly]

Mimi Pond’s graphic novels “Over Easy” and “The Customer is Always Wrong” about being a young waitress revel in Oakland’s seamy underbelly. [Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly]

Nearly 30 years after her death, Jessica Mitford continues to draw attention. A book of her letters edited by Peter Sussman was recently reissued and a new biography “Trouble Maker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford” by Carla Kaplan will be released in November. [Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly]

Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. Don’t forget to follow East Bay Yesterday’s Substack newsletter to stay updated on upcoming tours, events, and other local history news.

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