Molly Ivins is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she writes about Texas politics and other bizarre happenings.

Ivins is from Houston, has a B.A. from Smith College, a Master's in journalism from Columbia University and studied for a year at the Institute of Political Science in Paris. She began her career in journalism as the Complaint Department of the Houston Chronicle. She rapidly worked her way up to the position of sewer editor, from whence she wrote a number of gripping articles about street closings. She next went to work for the Minneapolis Tribune, first as a police reporter and later on a beat called Movements for Social Change. She covered militant blacks, angry Indians, radical students, uppity women and a motley assortment of other misfits and troublemakers.

In 1970, Ivins returned to Texas as co-editor of The Texas Observer, a sprightly, muck-raking publication devoted to the coverage of Texas political and social events. Her specialty was covering the Texas Legislature, which doubtlessly accounts for her frequent fits of hysterical laughter in those years. When the Lege was not in session, Ivins roamed the state in search of truth, justice and good lead stories for the magazine.

In 1976, Ivins joined The New York Times as a political reporter, first at City Hall and then at the statehouse in Albany. In 1977, she was named Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief, chiefly because there was no one else in the bureau. For three years, she covered nine mountain states by herself and was often tired.

In February 1982, she returned once more to Texas, which may indicate a masochistic streak, and has had plenty to write about ever since.

Ivin's freelance work has appeared in Esquire, Atlantic, The Nation, Harper's, TV Guide and numerous other publications. She also does occasional commentary for National Public Radio and the McNeil/Lehrer program. She served for three years on the board of the National News Council, is active in Amnesty International's Journalism Network and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She writes about press issues for the American Civil Liberties Union and several journalism reviews. She has received a number of journalism awards and in 1976 was named Outstanding Alumna by Columbia University's School of Journalism.

She speaks both French and Spanish, loves to camp, canoe and run rivers and is a semi-famous storyteller and beer-drinker.

She is author of two best-selling books, Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She? and Nothin' But Good Times Ahead, both collections of essays on politics and journalism. She has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times and was the winner of the 1992 Headliners Award for best column in Texas.

However, Ivins counts as her two greatest honors that the Minneapolis police force named its mascot pig after her and that she was once banned from the campus of Texas A&M.

Articles by Author

03 December 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- For those in favor of having this argument like grown-ups, some history may be helpful.

The punch-card voting system has been a consistent...

28 November 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- In our continuing study of PBBUPs (People Behaving Badly Under Pressure), we are witnessing some outstanding performances -- and names are...
23 November 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- I'd say Jebbie Bush has a problem. Not that he didn't have one before, but now he is in a dill pickle.

The R's best strategy at this point...

22 November 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- OK, everybody, you know the law. If you don't vote, you can't complain. So get out and do it.

Voting whitens your teeth and sweetens your...

21 November 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- Now they're eating the chad! For all I know, they're eating pregnant chad! Call the right-to-life folks! Call the cruelty-to-animals people! I...
20 November 2000
AUSTIN, Texas -- In May 1957, one of the ugliest times in Texas history, the Legislature was debating a long series of bills designed to reinforce the legal...

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