I saw her speak back in 1994 at Southern Methodist University (I was a student across town at the U of Dallas). Very possibly changed my life: I was only recently out, and to be introduced to a manner of dealing with adversity with wit and grit was amazing.
The lecture was open to the public, and there was an older gay man there, a transplant from not-Texas. He was clearly not happy with Texas, and asked for advice on living in what, at the time, was a pretty hateful place to be middle-aged, middle-classed, and queer. Ms. Ivins advised him to grind up a bit of glass and swallow it every day... it toughened up the stomach.
I've spent much of the intervening years swallowing a bit of ground up glass each day. It's made a world of difference.
She also talked about getting drunk on beer during a counter-protest to a KKK march in Austin, and mooning them as they marched past. She was happy to report that at one point they got the timing right and it was not unlike doing the wave...just with your pants down.
I fucking miss her like nobody's business.
I will now return to off-beat commenting, and stop talking about my feeelings.
I saw her speak back in 1994 at Southern Methodist University (I was a student across town at the U of Dallas). Very possibly changed my life: I was only recently out, and to be introduced to a manner of dealing with adversity with wit and grit was amazing.
The lecture was open to the public, and there was an older gay man there, a transplant from not-Texas. He was clearly not happy with Texas, and asked for advice on living in what, at the time, was a pretty hateful place to be middle-aged, middle-classed, and queer. Ms. Ivins advised him to grind up a bit of glass and swallow it every day... it toughened up the stomach.
I've spent much of the intervening years swallowing a bit of ground up glass each day. It's made a world of difference.
She also talked about getting drunk on beer during a counter-protest to a KKK march in Austin, and mooning them as they marched past. She was happy to report that at one point they got the timing right and it was not unlike doing the wave...just with your pants down.
I fucking miss her like nobody's business.
I will now return to off-beat commenting, and stop talking about my feeelings.
Molly Ivins is dead, Ann Richards is dead, Pauline Kael is dead. The world sucks now. These things are not unrelated.
And Joan Didion isn't getting any younger.
Molly Ivins was amazing.
I know what Santa is bringing me for Christmas.
Miss her. I wonder what she would have made of all this.