As you may have heard, on October 22nd we’ll be publishing our first book, a 300-page, hardcover, illustrated encyclopedia called The Book of Jezebel. In honor of this milestone —which took many years and dozens of contributors to execute—we’ll be posting one entry from the book a day, starting with “A” and continuing on through to “Z.” Although the book itself has already been printed — it’s gorgeous — questions, additions, annotations and suggestions on the entries that appear online are welcomed and encouraged.
Ivins, Molly (1944-2007)
Wickedly funny Texan writer who gave George W. Bush the nickname Shrub and was known for her no-bullshit, genuinely populist, faux-folksy political wisdom. Although barbs like “If his IQ went any lower, we’d have to water him twice a day” made her famous outside Texas, her intelligence and sincere patriotism shone through even her most vitriolic columns. After the 2004 presidential election, Ivins addressed readers who whine, “There’s nothing I can do about it” in her Columbus Free Press column: “If the last election didn’t teach you that every vote counts, you may want to consider assisted living. Of course, you don’t have as much say in this country as the people who give big money to the politicians—but that can be fixed. As an American living today, your one vote means you have more political power than 99 percent of all the people who ever lived on this planet. Think about it: Who ever had this much power? A peasant in ancient Egypt? A Roman slave? A medieval shoemaker? A French farmer? Your grandfather? Why throw power away? Use it. Leverage it.”
(Image via Getty.)
- Learn more about the writers and artists who contributed to the book on the official Book of Jezebel site.
- Pre-order the book here and see an events/tour schedule here.
- Check out the book’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and Tumblr.