Writing in her native “Texlish,” Molly Ivins planted herself squarely in
the tradition of plain-spoken and earthy American humor, the big river
that runs from Mark Twain straight through to Will Rogers, Ring Lardner
and George Carlin.
Between 1982 and 2007, Ivins contributed
seventeen consistently sharp and funny articles to The Nation, starting
with what might be described as her “Letters From Texas,” in which she
discussed political developments in the Lone Star State, whose zany
politics were full of exotic people dubbed “The Gibber,” “The Breck
Girl” and “Governor Goodhair.”
Despite their humor, however,
Ivins’s pieces always delivered trenchant political commentary. And she
could also write highly accomplished and fascinating cultural essays and
book reviews (such as “Ezra Pound in East Texas,” included in this
eBook).