Molly Ivins

2007-02-01T16:56:18Z

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[[Image:Molly_Ivins.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Molly Ivins]]
'''Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins''' ([[August 30]] [[1944]] – [[January 31]] [[2007]]) was an [[United States|American]] newspaper [[columnist]], [[pundit|political commentator]], and [[bestseller|best-selling]] [[author]] from [[Austin, Texas]].

==Biography==
Ivins attended [[St. John's School]] in [[Houston, Texas]]. She went on to study at [[Smith College]], earning a BA in 1966, and at [[Columbia University]]'s [[Columbia Journalism School|journalism school]], where she received a master's. She then studied at the [[Institute of Political Science]] in [[Paris]] for a year.<ref name="syracuse">[http://provost.syr.edu/lectures/Ivins.asp Syracuse U. Bio], retrieved 11/6/06.</ref><ref name="pbsnow">[http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/ivins05.html NOW, Ivins' Bio], retrieved 11/6/06.</ref>

Her first newspaper job was in the complaint department of the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'', followed by the position of, as she puts it, "sewer editor," responsible for reporting on the nuts-&-bolts of local city life. She went on to the ''[[Minneapolis Tribune]]'', where she was the first woman police reporter in that city and, later, the reporter who covered a beat called Movements for Social Change, where she notes that she wrote about "militant blacks, angry Indians, radical students, uppity women and a motley assortment of other misfits and troublemakers." She left the ''Tribune'' to write for the ''[[Texas Observer]]'' from 1970 to 1976. ''[[The New York Times]]'', concerned that its prevailing writing style was too staid and lifeless, hired her away<ref>[http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/12/12/ivins/index2.html Salon.com], retrieved 11/6/06.</ref> from the Observer in 1976, and she wrote for the ''Times'' until 1982. During her run at the ''Times'', Ivins became [[Rocky Mountains|Rocky Mountain]] bureau chief, covering nine western states, although the writer was known to say she was named chief because there was no one else in the bureau.<ref name="dmnobit">Hoppe, Christy.[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/020107glivinsobit.ba369f.html Columnist, author Molly Ivins dies,] ''The Dallas Morning News'', January 31, 2007 (retrieved Jan. 31, 2007)</ref> Her more colorful style clashed with the editors' expectations, and in 1982, after she wrote about a "community chicken-killing festival" and called it a "gang-pluck," she was dismissed. She then wrote for the ''[[Dallas Times Herald]]'' from 1982 until the paper's demise in 1992, moving in that year to the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]],'' which was her home paper until 2001, when she became an independent journalist. Her column, currently distributed by [http://www.creators.com/opinion/molly-ivins-about.html Creators Syndicate,] appears in nearly 400 papers nationwide.

She was also a member of the Texas Democracy Foundation Board, which operates the [[Texas Observer]] in Austin.{{fact}}

===Writing style===
Written from a generally [[American liberalism|liberal]] perspective, Ivins' style consisted of down-home homilies, peppered with colorful phrases to create the "feel" of Texas. When outraged by instances of what she considered malfeasance or stupidity on the part of public officials, she couched her argument in an air of stunned amusement. She enjoyed telling stories about the [[Texas Legislature]], which she simply called "The Lege." She contended that it is one of the most corrupt, most incompetent, and funniest governing bodies in the nation—a well that she tapped on a regular basis. For example:
<blockquote>Practice, practice, practice, that's what Texas provides when it comes to sleaze and stink. Who can forget such great explanations as "Well, I'll just make a little bit of money, I won't make a whole lot"? And "There was never a Bible in the room"?<ref>
[[January 6]] [[2006]], [http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2006/1292 More Texan sleaze and stink], retrieved 11/7/06.</ref></blockquote>
In [[2003]], she coined the term "[[Great Liberal Backlash of 2003]]".{{fact}} She is also credited with the nickname "[[Shrub]]" for [[George W. Bush]], who had misunderstood the Spanish word ''Arbusto'' when he selected it as the name for one of his companies.

===Death===
In [[1999]], Ivins was diagnosed with stage III [[inflammatory breast cancer]]. The cancer recurred in 2003 and again in late 2005. In January 2006 she reported that she was again undergoing [[chemotherapy]].<ref name="chemo">[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3618697.html ''Houston Chronicle'', expired link]</ref> In December 2006 she took leave from her column to again undergo treatment.<ref name="eandp">[http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003520952 Ivins Takes Leave for Cancer Treatment]</ref> She returned to the column in January 2007, with two columns, but returned to the hospital on the 26th for further treatment.<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4502269.html Ivins hospitalized in ongoing cancer fight]</ref> Ivins died at her [[Austin, Texas]] home in hospice care on [[January 31]], [[2007]], at age 62. President [[George W. Bush]], a frequent target of her barbs, said in a statement, "I respected her convictions, her passionate belief in the power of words, and her ability to turn a phrase. She fought her illness with that same passion. Her quick wit and commitment to her beliefs will be missed."<ref name="apobit">Kelley Shannon, [[Associated Press]], [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_re_us/obit_ivins;_ylt=Anz3czW3QVIxzXQaYfjommus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MjBwMWtkBHNlYwM3MTg- Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins dies], February 1, 2007.</ref>

==Awards==
*[[William Allen White]] Award from the [[University of Kansas]] (2001)<ref>[http://waw.emporia.edu/ William Allen White Award]</ref>
*Smith Medal from Smith College (2001)<ref>[http://www.smith.edu/newssmith/NSSpr01/news.html Smith College]</ref>
*Elected to the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] (2001)<ref name="Creators">[http://www.creators.com/opinion/molly-ivins-about.html Ivins Bio, Creators Syndicate]</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.amacad.org/members/class_section.pdf
|title=List of Active Members by Classes
|publisher=American Academy of Arts and Sciences
|accessdate=2007-01-31}}</ref>
*[[Ivan Allen Jr.]] Prize for Progress and Service (2003)<ref>Buzz Words ([[Georgia Tech]] Alumni Association), ''[http://gtalumni.org/buzzwords/pastissues/apr03/article7.html Columnist Ivins Wins Ivan Allen Prize]''</ref>
*Pringle Prize for Washington Journalism from [[Columbia University]] (2003)<ref name="Creators"/>
*[[Eugene V. Debs]] Award in the field of journalism (2003)<ref name="Creators"/>
*[[David Brower]] Award for journalism from the [[Sierra Club]] (2004)<ref name="Creators"/>
*[[David Nyhan]] Prize for Political Journalism from the [[Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy]] at [[Harvard University]] (2006)<ref>[[Harvard University]], [http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/news_events/calendar_archive/2006_archive.htm David Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism], November 16, 2006. Retrieved February 1, 2007.</ref>

In addition to these formal awards, Ivins said that she was particularly proud of having the [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] police force's [[mascot]] pig named after her, and of being banned from the [[Texas A&M University|Texas A&M]] campus.<ref>{{cite web| last =Newcomb| first =Douglas| title ="The Long and Happy Life of a Political Columnist"| work = Information Outlook| publisher = Special Libraries Association| date = May 2001| url = http://www.sla.org/content/Shop/Information/infoonline/2001/may01/ivins_may.cfm| accessdate = 2007-02-01}}</ref>

==Allegation of plagiarism by Florence King==
In 1995, humorist [[Florence King]] wrote in a ''The American Enterprise'' column that Ivins had plagiarized King's work and mis-stated a quotation from a King column in a 1988 ''Mother Jones'' article.{{ref|plagiarist}} David Rubien, writing in [[Salon.com|Salon]], described the incident: "In a 1995 article for ''Mother Jones'' on Southern manners and mores, she extensively quoted, with affectionate attribution, statements from Florence King's book ''Southern Ladies and Gentlemen''. But for some careless reason Ivins still fails to comprehend, she left the attribution off a few King statements." <ref>David Rubien, Salon.com, [http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/12/12/ivins/index.html], Dec. 12, 2000. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2007.</ref> Ivins apologized in a letter to King. King published Ivins's apology and her own reply in a later article.{{ref|author}}

==Bibliography==
*''Who Let the Dogs In?: Incredible Political Animals I Have Known'' (Random House, 2004) ISBN 1-4000-6285-3
*''Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America'' with Lou Dubose (Random House, 2003) ISBN 0-375-50752-3
*''Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron'' by Robert Bryce, foreword by Molly Ivins (PublicAffairs, 2002) ISBN 1-58648-138-X
*''Sugar's Life in the Hood: The Story of a Former Welfare Mother'' by Sugar Turner and Tracy Bachrach Ehlers, foreword by Molly Ivins (University of Texas Press, 2002) ISBN 0-292-72102-1
*''The Betrayal of America: How the Supreme Court Undermined the Constitution and Chose Our President'' (2001) with Vincent Bugliosi (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2001) ISBN 1-56025-355-X
*''[[Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush]]'' with Lou Dubose (Random House, 2000) ISBN 0-375-50399-4
*''You Got to Dance With Them What Brung You: Politics in the Clinton Years'' (Random House, 1998) ISBN 0-679-40446-5
*''Nothin' But Good Times Ahead'' (Random House, 1995) ISBN 0-517-16429-9
*''Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?'' (Random House, 1991) ISBN 0-679-40445-7
*''The Edge of the West and Other Texas Stories'' with Bryan Wooley (Texas Western Pr, 1987) ISBN 0-87404-214-3

==References==
*{{note|bushater}}Ivins, Molly. "[http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2003/775 Bush-hater strikes again]". ''The Free Press''. October 16, 2003.
*{{note|grid}}Ivins, Molly. "[http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/23493/ There Goes the Electrical Grid]". ''[[AlterNet]]''. July 12, 2005.
*{{note|breasts}}Ivins, Molly. "[http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1101020218-201917,00.html Who Needs Breasts, Anyway?]" ''Time Magazine''. Feb. 18, 2002.
*{{note|author}}King, Florence. "[http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.16475/article_detail.asp Author, Author!]" ''The American Enterprise''. November/December 1995 Issue.
*{{note|plagiarist}}King, Florence. "[http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleID.16894/article_detail.asp Molly Ivins, Plagiarist]". ''The American Enterprise''. September/October 1995.
*{{note|npr}}[[Robert Siegel]] and Wade Goodwyn, "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7111009 Molly Ivins Dies at 62 After Bout with Breast Cancer]", including interviews with and commentaries by Ivins, [[NPR]], January 31, 2007.

==Notes==
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==External links==
*[http://www.creators.com/opinion/molly-ivins/molly-ivins-tribute.html Molly Ivins tribute] A moving tribute to Molly Ivins, written by her long-time editor Anthony Zurcher.
*[http://philosopedia.org/index.php?title=Molly_Ivins Philosopedia mention of her dislike of organized religions]
*[http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/ Molly Ivins' column in the ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram''] with archives
*[http://www.alternet.org/columnists/1406/ Stories by Molly Ivins at ''AlterNet'']
*[http://www.startribune.com/blogs/oldnews/?p=126 Minneapolis Tribune article by Ivins on Honeywell protest, April 1970]
*[http://www.ibcsurvivors.org/molly.html Molly Ivins' Inflammatory Breast Cancer Site]
*[http://www.newsmeat.com/media_political_donations/Molly_Ivins.php Molly Ivins' campaign contributions]
*[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3618697.html Molly Ivins' breast cancer returns]
*[http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/molly_ivins.htm Selected Molly Ivins quotations]

[[Category:1944 births|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:2007 deaths|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:American columnists|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Texas writers|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:American anti Iraq War activists|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Smith College alumni|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Alumnae of women's colleges|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Columbia University alumni|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Alumni of Sciences Po|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:People from Houston|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Journalists accused of fabrication or plagiarism|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Breast cancer activists|Ivins, Molly]]
[[Category:Breast cancer patients|Ivins, Molly]]

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Molly Ivins