Mississippi Transplant: Lucy Isadora

"i never thought i would be such a vocal and proud mississippian, but here i am."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Lucy moved to Jackson for college, but stayed because she liked it. When she’s not teaching middle school English, she’s making zines, playing in one of her three bands, or booking and attending punk shows in Jackson. Lucy sees the complexity of Mississippi at work in her daily life as a an educator and a musician. She writes: “powerful people and randoms who don't get it can do a lot to beat down on people here, but nobody can ever make the food stop being good or the people stop being nice.” Today, Lucy tells us why she feels a duty to her community to stay rooted in Mississippi.

Lucy Isadora lives in Jackson.

Where are you from?

memphis, tennessee—i claim "memphissippi," because anybody from memphis knows it's not like the rest of tennessee.

When did you move to Mississippi and why did you move here?

depends on how you count it—i came to college at millsaps in 2015, and i moved to jackson full-time after graduation in 2019. i came here for college, but i stayed here because i like it.

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

home is where your community is. my mom's side of the family lives in mississippi, my friends from college are all here, and i've made so many friends through art and zines and music and just being a gal about town, that i truly feel that i have an expansive community here in jackson.

What do you miss most about the place where you’re from?

my brothers, best friend, and parents all still live in memphis—i do wish they would come move next door to me. it's hard to say i miss much else about memphis, because the town i visit now is so different from the town i grew up in. i miss trips to the peanut shoppe with my grandparents, walking around the neighborhood with my brothers, and sleepovers at my best friend's house. those are the experiences that i can never quite replicate down here.

Lucy performing as DJ Jane Blank at End of All Music Records in Jackson.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?

i am so grateful for the community i have. some of my close college friends stayed in jackson with me after graduation, and they are the best. i have tons of pals from attending, performing at, and booking punk shows here in jackson—the jackson punks are outta sight. i've met many more awesome people through making and distributing zines around town. i feel so connected around town that jackson feels like a big friend group to me.

What’s the weirdest question or assumption you’ve encountered about Mississippi (or about you as a Mississippian) by someone who’s never been here?

i attended an education conference in texas a few years ago and was small-talking with a guy who looked pretty similar to me. youngish white guy who taught english in a suburb of seattle, washington. when i told him i teach in jackson, he got this strange look of passive concern in his eyes, like he was sad for me but it was also a little bit funny, and he kind of flippantly asked "do they even let you teach anything there?"

i was truly speechless, because at first i didn't even really understand what he meant. i thought we were commiserating about the pressures of standardized testing or something. but i realized he was talking about book bans, which are definitely an issue in mississippi, but not so much in jackson. i had to gently explain to this man that book bans are more of a white suburban school thing in my experience, and that he was probably in more danger of meeting a mom for liberty up in nice gentrified seattle than i am in spooky scary jackson. it was definitely an infuriating conversation, but i know that he can't get good food at a gas station where he's from like i can, so i try to have some sympathy.

How has living in Mississippi affected your identity and your life’s path?

i never thought i would be such a vocal and proud mississippian, but here i am. i can't say enough good things about the city of jackson. when i was younger i was obsessed with changing things and advancing my career as an educator, i really wanted to climb the ladder into politics and make education laws. admittedly, i've become politically radicalized to the point of nihilism, so it's hard to see hope in american politics anymore. these days i'm so happy to be in my little house, making my little music, designing my little flyers, teaching my little students, and making a (hopefully) positive impact on my corner of the world.

Lucy’s Landmass Library, located at Urban Foxes in Jackson, has free zines written by Lucy and others.

What is something that you’ve learned about Mississippi only by living here? In what ways has Mississippi lived up to your expectations?

no two people here have the same experience and outlook on everything. the politicians here make it miserable, but the people here make it good. no matter how big your car is, you cannot just drive over potholes like a champ. 

mississippi has lived up to my expectations of having good food and nice people. powerful people and randoms who don't get it can do a lot to beat down on people here, but nobody can ever make the food stop being good or the people stop being nice. 

Have you ever thought about moving away? Does a sense of duty keep you rooted here?  Do you have a “tipping point”?

of course i think about moving away, but then i look at housing prices in other cities, and that pretty much sobers me up. i'd be lying if i said i didn't feel some duty to stick around, but it's not because i am The One And Only White Lady Who Will Fix Everything. the duty i feel is to the people i love and community i share with them—we make it good together, and i feel a duty to carry that torch. there are life circumstances that will likely take me elsewhere eventually, but my tipping point is not political. i don't care how much money and work is put into immiserating me and other mississippians, i will stick around out of spite.

What do you wish the rest of the country understood about Mississippi?

it's not like you think, but it's also exactly like you think, but you also will never ever get it if you're over there, so you might as well come see a punk show down here so i can show you how it is.

Lucy performing with her band Big Clown.

Do you have a favorite Mississippi writer, artist, or musician who you think everyone needs to know about?

i'm so glad you asked, i have a long list. i think everyone should read the poetry of etheridge knight - he made his career in indiana, but he's from corinth. i teach "the idea of ancestry" to my students every year. mississippi has some of the best punk rock currently happening, and i encourage rooted readers to check out judy and the jerks, MSPAINT, johnny vomit and the dry heaves, mostly satire, nightdrator, bad anxiety, the limbos, overnight lows, smokies, bucksnort, parrot weather, the grumpies, kicking, measureless aeons, passing parade, clitter critters, spirituals, holy vision, and the guiding light. here’s a playlist. jackson has incredible all-ages punk venues, a rare thing in most cities, and that's thanks to mr. pat at cs's, robbie at sunflower oven, cody at urban foxes, and hayden at end of all records. speaking of records, jackson has one of the best record/comic book/anime figure/streetwear stores in the US right now because of phillip over at offbeat. i really wish i could let your entire readership peek into the school where i teach—i work with a group of incredible people who work tirelessly to love and teach an amazing group of kids.

If you had one billion dollars to invest in Mississippi, how would you spend your money?

one billion dollars is way more money than i can even understand how to spend, so i'll simply list a bunch of things i think would be worth it: free leashes, collars, fences, vet care, and dog training classes would work wonders on mississippi's stray animal population. grants to musicians who want to tour and share mississippi culture with the rest of the world. i'd pay off politicians to make abortion legal again. in fact, i'd drop a fat check in the mississippi reproductive freedom fund. free narcan everywhere, all the time. bail out everybody in prison on weed charges, then bail out everybody in prison for unpaid tickets, then bail some more people out just because. demolish parchman prison and build a huge library. free healthcare for everybody forever. pay tate reeves to fight me. and i'd give mr. pat a million dollars just for being wonderful.

Lucy at a concert at End of All Music.

What or who do you want to shamelessly promote? (It can absolutely be a project you’re working on, or something you are involved in.)

my bands are big clown, hammer and the tools, and dj jane blank. i distribute zines via the landmass library, and you can check out @landmasslibrary on instagram for more. i also make my own zines and other cool stuff - you can check out my website, lucyisadora.net, or my instagram @likls. i'd like to add to my plugs that i book shows in jackson and post about them on instagram @goodgigs_jxn. ya think i might need to drop a project? lol!

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lucy isadora's bands are big clown, hammer and the tools, and dj jane blank. she distributes zines via the landmass library, and you can check out @landmasslibrary on instagram for more. she also makes her own zines and other cool stuff - check out her website, lucyisadora.net, or her instagram @likls. lucy books shows in jackson and posts about them on instagram @goodgigs_jxn.