W. Michael Smith

She was a groomed for a gilded life in moneyed Houston, but Molly Ivins left the country club behind to become one of the most provocative, courageous, and influential journalists in American history. Presidents and senators called her for advice; her column ran in 400 newspapers; her books were bestsellers. But despite her fame, few people really knew her: what her background was, who influenced her, how her political views developed, or how many...