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Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life
She was a groomed for a gilded life in moneyed Houston, but Molly Ivins left the country club behind to become one of the most provocative, courageous, and influential journalists in American history. Presidents and senators called her for advice; her column ran in 400 newspapers; her books, starting with Molly Ivins Cana woman who inspired people both to laughter and acti...more
Hardcover, 360 pages
Published
November 10th 2009
by PublicAffairs
(first published 2009)
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I enjoyed reading about Molly Ivans from the viewpoint of two men who worked with her and knew her well. I used to read her column in the Trib; and I admired her and her writing. She always made me laugh and her liberal and feisty perspectives were, for me, refreshing to read.
She was born in 1944. Her family lived in Houston's River Oaks neighborhood, the same wealthy, exclusive neighborhood where the George H. W. Bush family lived. Her father, who was called “the general,”...more
She was born in 1944. Her family lived in Houston's River Oaks neighborhood, the same wealthy, exclusive neighborhood where the George H. W. Bush family lived. Her father, who was called “the general,”...more
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While this book has some entertaining stories and anecdotes about Molly Ivins, it was somehow unsatisfying. I came away feeling I still didn't get a sense of what she was "really like." The authors seemed overly focused on pointing out over and over that she drank and smoked a lot. For the 1st half of the book they seemed unable to go more than two pages without specifically mentioning that Molly drank and smoked a lot. Eventually Molly seemed to have stopped drinking so much but it wa...more
Omar
rated it
An interesting read on several levels:
1. Molly Ivins' public persona was colorful, charismatic, and engaging. Naturally, fans (and possibly detractors) will tend to be curious about the individual who evolved that persona. This book attempts to explore that person and provide some insights into her contradictions, struggles, and maybe some of her blind spots. The authors primarily employ primary source material, in the form of interviews with her surviving family, coworkers, friends and...more
1. Molly Ivins' public persona was colorful, charismatic, and engaging. Naturally, fans (and possibly detractors) will tend to be curious about the individual who evolved that persona. This book attempts to explore that person and provide some insights into her contradictions, struggles, and maybe some of her blind spots. The authors primarily employ primary source material, in the form of interviews with her surviving family, coworkers, friends and...more
I love Molly Ivins, waited every Thursday morning for the paper so I could see who she'd tear be tearing strips off that day. Molly Ivins was larger than life and people of that ilk do everything big. If you’re from Texas, you do things double big. Molly grew up in privileged Houston, spoke fluent French, and attended all the right eastern schools but you’d never know it to listen to her. She was the prototypical 1960’s radicalized rich kid. She started out working for the Texas Observer and...more
I did not like this bookl. It was written for an insider already familiar with Texas politics, the players and her part in it. It is lacking the the basics of the journalists' tade: who, what, where when and why. Example: In the 70's the authors refer to Sharpstown and corruption in "the Lege", wall, what was Sharpstown, who was involved? Give some bones on which to hang your story!
Facts: Her father: James e. Ivins "the General" Her name derived from ...more
Facts: Her father: James e. Ivins "the General" Her name derived from ...more
Molly Ivins was one of those larger-than-life Texas women who I've revered for years. When she and Ann Richards died, within months of each other, I wondered if the state of Texas would ever again produce such wonderfully intelligent, funny, inimitable characters.
I realize that a biography has to cover a lot of material, but I did think that this book had to tendency to skim over the surface too much. There were many times when I felt like important events in Molly's life were almo...more
I realize that a biography has to cover a lot of material, but I did think that this book had to tendency to skim over the surface too much. There were many times when I felt like important events in Molly's life were almo...more
When Molly Ivins was alive, I saw her books in the store, but I hadn't become politically fierce yet & thought the humor seemed a little too exaggerated. After having read this bio, I really wish she were still here & writing. A quote of hers on pg 163 - "Being a left-liberal in Texas is a little like being an early Christian ..." Which is exactly why I wish she were still alive, pointing out injustices & absurdities, and reminding people that not everyone in Texas votes Republican.
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This book gave me a lot more information about Molly Ivins than I had, but not enough. The authors did lots of interviews with people who had known her, but not enough. Maybe her life is still too fresh and her death too recent for the kind of historial perspective I was looking for. But it is a good first step and I hope somebody will someday take it further.
What I learned is that Molly was a smoker, and alcoholic who was often a trial to her friends. She was resistant to authority,...more
What I learned is that Molly was a smoker, and alcoholic who was often a trial to her friends. She was resistant to authority,...more
I loved reading the books of Molly Ivins and this biography profiles the gutsy journalist behind the books. Molly broke all barriers as she left the comfortable suburbs of Houston and the sedate campus of Smith to become a tough investigative reporter in newspapers throughout the country.
Journalism during the sixties and seventies was a male dominated one and Molly with her intelligence, grit and humor carved her way into political reporting. Her wicked wit as she covered the anti...more
Journalism during the sixties and seventies was a male dominated one and Molly with her intelligence, grit and humor carved her way into political reporting. Her wicked wit as she covered the anti...more
"Molly Ivins is a comprehensive, definitive narrative biography,..."
No, no, and no, unless a roughly chronological collection of anecdotes counts as narrative.
"... based on intimate knowledge of Molly, interviews with her family, friends, and colleagues, and access to a treasure trove of her personal papers."
That's probably true.
"Written in a rollicking style...."
Written in the authors' very pale imitation ...more
No, no, and no, unless a roughly chronological collection of anecdotes counts as narrative.
"... based on intimate knowledge of Molly, interviews with her family, friends, and colleagues, and access to a treasure trove of her personal papers."
That's probably true.
"Written in a rollicking style...."
Written in the authors' very pale imitation ...more
I wanted to like this book, for I LOVE Molly. But I couldn't get into it. It was written, I think, for someone who wanted to know her from only the journalistic side: what schools she went to, what kind of internships she had.
But once I found out, early on in the book, about her interesting family, her long lost love, her wild, independent spirit, I really wanted a more personal biography, covering her friends and lovers, funny ancedotes, her family, things she did besides journalism...more
But once I found out, early on in the book, about her interesting family, her long lost love, her wild, independent spirit, I really wanted a more personal biography, covering her friends and lovers, funny ancedotes, her family, things she did besides journalism...more
Thoroughly enjoyable read covering Molly Ivens’ life. Molly is a hero of mine. The authors obviously loved Molly and this probably influenced the tone of the book. They are on her side. I don’t care because I’m on her side, too I picked this book up right before leaving on a vacation/business trip to Houston and Galveston, Texas. Drove around the River Oaks neighborhood where Molly grew up and saw the country club where the Bush boys hung out. Molly lived large. The B&W photos in the center of t...more
I was a huge fan of Molly Ivins. One of my fondest memories of college was when she was a guest lecturer in my journalism class, and she and the other 8 people in the class piled into the professor's massive convertible and we all headed out to swim at the river and have our lecture on intertubes with loads of beer and smoke-ables. That class started a correspondence friendship that lasted for years.
This book did a good job of sharing a side of Ms. Ivins that was probably unknown t...more
This book did a good job of sharing a side of Ms. Ivins that was probably unknown t...more
I think this must be the worst-written book I have ever wanted to read. I totally worshipped Molly Ivins and thought this would be a fantastic thing to read. But the writing was so terrible that I put it down multiple times before finally deciding to finish it. The authors repeat themselves endlessly, even within chapters. It's as if they think you'll totally have forgotten what you'd read just a few minutes before.
That being said, it is of course great to learn more about Molly. I thi...more
That being said, it is of course great to learn more about Molly. I thi...more
Well. I've reviewed biographies on this site that made me ask "what is the biographer's obligation to the subject?" and I think Minutaglio and Smith answer this question succinctly. The biographers need to help us know their subject, and these men deliver this assistance admirably. I went to bed early last night: sad for an amazing life cut short by cancer, disappointed I never met Molly Ivins, and enthused to read more of her work. Excellent coverage of Ivins' remarkable life. Kudos t...more
I wasn't actually able to finish this book. I had to return it to the library, and I decided not to get it out again because it was so frustrating to read. The authors seemed to enjoy trying to imitate Ivins's trademark writing style more than writing clearly about her life. I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but give me a break. I don't want a book about Molly Ivins to waste ink on phrases to make the authors sound clever. And why spend a bunch of time talking about corporate H...more
A well-written account by a pair of journalists, including W. Michael Smith, who worked for Ivins as a researcher for six years. Ivins' substantial collection of letters, diaries and notes were a basis for the biography, which was well-supplemented by interviews with friends.
Having just finished a biography of Warren Beatty that was jerky, appearing to have been written as a collection of unrelated essays, this biography of Ivins was much smoother with a tale of her life that flowed...more
Having just finished a biography of Warren Beatty that was jerky, appearing to have been written as a collection of unrelated essays, this biography of Ivins was much smoother with a tale of her life that flowed...more
I once applied for Molly Ivins's old job, co-editor of the Texas Observer, so somehow I feel a little closer to Molly, as her thousands of readers called her, than most. Her syndicated columns gave heart to thousands of like-minded souls during the dark days of the Bush regime, and we laughed along with her at those crazy state legislators she first covered at the Texas Observer.
There is a little bit of that Molly here, but the book tells more about her struggles than her triumphs. I...more
There is a little bit of that Molly here, but the book tells more about her struggles than her triumphs. I...more
Well written, well focused. I like that the focus wasn't on gossipy stuff like her drinking and sex life. They were touched on but mostly the focus was her work life and the influences and experiences that shaped her. Now I want to go back and read her books because I have a better sense of who's writing. I have a context for her writing that I didn't have before. I miss reading her columns every week something fierce. I'm glad she left behind so much great writing. There's still a lot to learn ...more
Anyone who was as big a fan of Molly Ivins as I was will enjoy this biography. She was quite a lady and this book presents the good and the bad. We were subscribers to the "The Texas Observer" for years - the only newspaper where one could read what actually was going on. This book is probably more interesting for people who lived in Texas and could identify with Texas events and places (for me, Houston) but it is also an interesting read just to appreciate the stress of being a wel...more
I miss Molly Ivins terribly.
And while a bio does prompt some additional knowledge of her life, it's no substitute for her. I wasn't as interested as her career path as I thought I would be. I found the more personal and intimate details of her life woefully sparse and repetitive.
I confess - ultimately I just wanted to her from her again. Admittedly, I laughed out loud several times at some Molly-isms. Thank god for Molly Ivins!
And while a bio does prompt some additional knowledge of her life, it's no substitute for her. I wasn't as interested as her career path as I thought I would be. I found the more personal and intimate details of her life woefully sparse and repetitive.
I confess - ultimately I just wanted to her from her again. Admittedly, I laughed out loud several times at some Molly-isms. Thank god for Molly Ivins!
I have admired Molly Ivins for years, so I was saddened to discover that she had such a self destructive element in her life. She was an outstanding journalist who worked hard to 'get the whole story.' Her sense of humor was her trademark - and she knew how to drive her points home. She was a gifted writer who died too young. This book shows who and what influenced her on her mission to show us the world as it really is.
The preface was a little too glowing somehow, leaving me feeling that dear Molly was the perfect human and even her rebellions were perfect. I read that one of the authors was her aide in the 1990s and while that may give him peculiar insights, it also is (right now) striking me as a thin qualification for plundering the depths of this person... Will keep reading and see if I change my mind.
I was a big Molly Ivins fan so looked forward to reading a biography of her life. This was a disappointment. The authors advised us that Molly Ivins left alot of personal data--letters and so on. However, the story seemed less than personal. I wonder if it would have been better written by a woman or by only one author. I did read it and learned things about her life.
I don't know why I picked this biography up, I never read many (if any) of Ivins' columns or articles, but once I started reading, I found it hard to stop. The biography, written by people who knew her well, is both touching and harsh. The Molly Ivins the public knew and the real Ivins are both intertwined in this (hopefully) honest account of her life.
I read this a while ago, but enjoyed it thoroughly. I had heard of Molly Ivins, but didn't really know who she was. She was born to wealth, went into journalism and then criticized the politics in Texas and the Shrub administration. She had met George Bush and knew quite a few of the politicians she was writing about. Good humor in her writings.
Just finished this....a quick pace on an unapologetic patriot and liberal...but not necessarily in that order. Much new information on Molly's background and childhood that was both unknown AND unexpected. Definitely an important read for her many fans.....approach with caution for others.
Loved this book because I always loved Molly - enjoyed her syndicated columns and I miss them. This was an interesting overview of her life and how she went from a narrow minded republican family to a vocal democrat and a women's rights supporter. I'll read more about Molly - what a loss for our country when she died of breast cancer.
I admired the hell out of Molly Ivins, and was very glad to read a narrative of her life. The writing here is pedestrian. That would have been OK, but I got so tired of reading about how her height, weight, alcoholism were somehow surmountable problems of her own making. There is the merest hint from the authors that if she cleaned herself up, she might have been marriage material. Ugh.
I'd like to read a bio of Molly written by a fellow female shitkicker. But then, there was really ...more
I'd like to read a bio of Molly written by a fellow female shitkicker. But then, there was really ...more
This is a lovely book about a tall Smithie who shot from the hip, was a stunning beauty and a great writer who was generous in her writing and journalism and more importantly, it seemed to her, to her family and friends. This book is one of the best biographies I've read in years, which I'm sure is influenced by the fact that I've lived in Austin for 6 years and I know a number of the names that appear in the kaleidoscope of Ivins' life. The authors really seem to do her justice, writing about h...more
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