Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life »

Bill Minutaglio is a professor of journalism at the University of Texas and author of several critically acclaimed books, including the first unauthorized biography of George W. Bush, First Son: George W. Bush & The Bush Family Dynasty.

W. Michael Smith was a researcher for Molly Ivins for eight years. He also worked for Gail Sheehy and several other authors, including staffers at The New York Times.

A revelatory biography of the irreverent political commentator and bestselling author whose public persona masked a complicated and compelling personal history

Publishers Weekly

Until her death in 2007, Molly Ivins was a staple of the op-ed page, aiming her arrow at favorite targets like George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and the circus of Southern-particularly Texan-politics. The Texas daughter of an oil executive and major player in Houston society, Ivins enjoyed an early, privileged view of Texas deal making and the rise of modern Republicanism. Her subsequent career was a full-fledged rebellion, beginning with her father's conservatism, and culminating in a rejection of both "objective" (read: neutered) journalism and the oil-rich Republican machine. Ivins's insight couldn't be timelier, and the lines she crossed on behalf of women and journalists are overdue for celebration. She was also a fascinating and private person who charmed with her Southern character and was rumored to have had a number of high-profile affairs. An ideal investigation would get into these deep, dark corners, the way Ivins herself would have, but this biography is based on select personal papers and positive recollections, written by close admirers: Minutalglio is a Texas journalism professor, Smith was a long-time researcher for Ivins. Though they fail to explain what truly motivated Ivins's relentless crusade, or the deep tradition of American opposition behind her seemingly-anomalous Texas liberalism, this book should please fans and win Ivins new ones.
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Preface ix

1 General Jim 1

2 River Oaks 25

3 Ghost 47

4 Naturally Backwards into Journalism 67

5 Young Radicals 89

6 Us Against Them 121

7 Necessary Humor 143

8 The You Know What 167

9 "Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?" 189

10 Molly, Inc. 215

11 The Kind of Pressure 241

12 You Got to Dance 265

13 Dearly Beloveds 287

Acknowledgments 307

Notes 311

Index 325