Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life
By
Bill Minutaglio & W. Michael Smith
I'm a big fan of the late great Molly Ivins, she lived just a few blocks away from me in south-austin, a neighborhood she once described as 'a good place to buy (used) auto parts' (cause of all the old cars parked in folks yards) That's been a good while ago, the yuppie influx has unfortunately changed things considerably. I only met her once & didn't recognize the 'name'. We were amongst the very few delegates in the neighborhood precinct for Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential bid. ~95% Michael Dukakis vs ~5% JJ
Bill Minutaglio has previously written books, on Alberto Gonzalez & bush 43 plus 5 other titles. see-
http://www.billminutaglio.com/...
W. Michael Smith was Molly Ivins's researcher and assistant from 1994 to 2001. He's worked w/ the Fort Worth Star Telegram, writer Gail Sheehy and staffers from the New York Times, the BBC, PBS Frontline, and ARD Germany.
http://wmichaelsmith.com/
I was very much affected by news of Molly's death, I spend the next 48 hrs reading tributes to her greatness after hearing about her passing.
Its not easy getting to know ones hero's/ fav celebrity in person.
This biography focuses on the person of Molly, it's not a collection of her published 'works'
Molly coined the term SHRUB, though it was handed to her on a silver platter in a dictionary.
from Mother Jones
http://www.motherjones.com/...
In 1978 Dubya turned his attention to Arbusto Energy (that's "ar-BOOST-o," the Spanish word for "bush," according to George W., although Cassell's Spanish dictionary gives "shrub" as the only translation)
Molly liked to tell it like it is. To me her seminal column is when she wrote about repugs always running on/by calling Dems every curse word in the book, accusing Dems of violating all 10 commandments at the same time. No sin, perversion, abomination was spared in condemning progressives & the looser mentality was to just go along, play nice & never 'lower' ourselves to their level, to fight fire w/ fire.
Imagine how much fun she would have w/ the teabaggers!
She's the only one who might ask them if they could put their $$$ where their mouth is & support expelling shrub & his cohorts from the republican party.
From her book(s) 'Who let the dogs in' & Molly Ivins Can't say that.
Micky leeland, one of the 1st blacks ever elected right out of a black district w/o having to get white folks permission to run at large. He showed up wearing an Afro & dashikis, the Bubbas thought he was some kinda freak radical Black panther & it meant the end of the world was at hand. His 1st session leeland carried a generic drug bill to help the poor sick & old. He couldn't believe anyone would vote against the poor, sick & old folks, but the drug companies & doctors teamed up to beat this bill. After the vote he stalked up to the medical association lobbyists at the back of the house and in a low voice that shook w/ furry he hissed "you are EVIL Mother F#@kers"
the rest of the Blockquotes are from a book review that ran in last Sundays Austin Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/...
I guess Molly was a pack rat, She supposedly kept everything & donated 150 boxes of papers & assorted stuff to the University of Texas shortly b/4 her death. This bio is based on the authors examination of those boxes to capture Molly the person
"We knew that she was self-aware. She was open and honest, always, in things she would tell her friends or say in speeches. But in terms of self-chronicling, neither of us knew about this extra layer, this extra dimension."
The authors could have called it "Inside Molly, Outside Molly" for the way the book examines Ivins' interior life, her doubts and dreams, while explaining so many external influences: her father, Houston of the 1960s, the Texas Observer, Austin of the 1970s, John Henry Faulk, The New York Times, cancer.
A True rebel w/o a Pause
"Basically her whole life was a monument to iconoclasm," journalist Charles Kaiser, who knew Ivins at The New York Times, remarks with admiration in the book. "This was a person who succeeded almost everywhere she went by not conforming."
If you're currently looking for a JOB- This is inspiring!!!
Seeking the editor's job at the Texas Observer in 1970, Ivins showed up to the interview with founding editor Ronnie Dugger carrying a six-pack of beer.
And what pajama clad, parents basement dwelling blogger can't appreciate this jem
"It has become known that I have a Bad Attitude," Ivins wrote to an Austin friend from New York in 1977. "... I am specifically charged with A) walking around the city room in my bare feet B) laughing too loud C) not dressing right D) making fun of editors E) showing insufficient enthusiasm for The Times and all its wonders F) just generally coming on too strong. What can I tell you? As Gary (sic) Trudeau once wrote: Guilty, guilty, guilty."
There's a park bench dedicated to Molly near Stacy pool. Its about 75 feet due north from the corner of East live Oak & alta vista ave/almeda dr
Happy Holidays everyone
