Texas columnist Molly Ivins dies

by PegNews wire

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Strong Texan perspective combined with liberal slant and sharp wit made her one of a kind.

Chronicle/Scott Sommerdorf

Columnist Molly Ivins died on Wednesday in Austin after a seven-year battle with breast cancer; she was 62.

In the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she was a political columnist from 1992 to 2001, ex-editor Mike Blackman calls her writing "magical."

"She could turn a phrase in such a way that a pretty hard-hitting point didn’t hurt so bad," he said.

She also wrote for the New York Times, Dallas Times-Herald, and Time magazine, among others; her sharp sense of humor and liberal perspective made her a popular guest on political talk shows. She's the one who coined the nickname "Shrub" for George W. Bush.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. It recurred in 2003, and again last year. She was single and had no children.

Posted by T.G.