VirusHead - Mutating bits of contagious discourse, because language is a virus.

My longtime hero Molly Ivins is dead at 62 after a long, long battle with breast cancer. I knew it. I knew it when I posted a few days ago that she was in the hospital. Ivins died at home in hospice care, so at least she left the hospital. Oh, we’ve lost a good one. My eyes are brimming.

Share an anecdote or quotation in the comments if you like.

From her last column:

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous.

May your wit and laughter and wisdom and generosity of spirit live on in the hearts of all the others you inspired. Oh, how we will miss you, Molly.

A sampling from those of us who will sorely miss her:

• Treasuring the Wit and Wisdom of Molly Ivins by Wade Goodwyn
• That was just Molly bein’ Molly by Anthony Zurcher
• Molly Ivins, In Memoriam by Matthew Rothschild
• An Irreplaceable Voice by Robert Scheer
• A Salute to Molly Ivins by Lewis Lapham
• We are All Molly by Larry Sakin
• Remembering Molly Ivins by John Nichols
• Molly Ivins: Fire And Light by Isaiah J. Poole

So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin’ ass and celebratin’ the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was. - Molly Ivins

You can sign her Legacy guestbook here.