In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, Kyler Bingham talks with award-winning biographer Carla Kaplan about her latest book, Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford. Jessica Mitford, or "Decca," was a member of the famously eccentric British aristocracy who famously defected from her privileged upbringing to become a passionate Marxist and a legendary muckraking journalist in America. Kaplan discusses the fascinating and often dark history of the six Mitford sisters—whose lives spanned the political spectrum from Communism to Fascism—and how Decca used her "hold-your-sides funny" humor as a powerful tool for social activism. From her world-changing exposé of the funeral industry, The American Way of Death, to her tireless work against police brutality in Oakland, this conversation highlights how Mitford's relentless spirit and refusal to succumb to despair offer a vital roadmap for navigating the political tensions of the current moment.

Thanks for listening!

Episode Links:

• Purchase Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford
• CarlaKaplan.com