West Michigan Women's Studies Council Bringing Molly Ivins to GR

MEDIA ADVISORY == March 31, 2004
Contact Kathleen Underwood at Grand Valley at underwok@gvsu.edu or
616-331-2339.
NOTE: A picture of Molly Ivins is at
http://www.calvin.edu/news/photos/visitors/ivins.jpg

The West Michigan Women's Studies Council was formed in 2001 to inform the
West Michigan community of gender issues and to collaborate with other groups
to enhance the lives of women. The Council consists of members from six local
colleges and universities: Aquinas, Calvin, Davenport, Grand Rapids Community
College, Grand Valley and Hope.

Since its inception the Council has brought one thought-provoking speaker to
West Michigan after another, people such as Margaret Cho, Barbara Ehrenreich
and Lani Guinier.

Council organizers believe their next speaker will be equally
thought-provoking.

On Tuesday, April 20 at 7 pm at Fountain Street Church the Council will host
award-winning columnist Molly Ivins for a talk titled simply: "Molly Ivins
Can't Say That, Can She?"

Organizers says that, in fact, Ivins usually says whatever she wants. Which
is why they brought her to West Michigan.

Calvin professor of communication arts and sciences Helen Sterk is on the
WMWSC and is thrilled to be bringing Ivins, 59, to town.

"Molly Ivins brings a sharp sensibility and wit to political issues," says
Sterk, "especially as they touch on gender. Given the WMWSC's stated goal of
increasing feminist consciousness in West Michigan, Molly Ivins is a fit
choice."

Ivins hails from Houston and has a bachelor's from Smith College, a master's
in journalism from Columbia University and a year of study at the Institute of
Political Science in Paris. She has worked for the Houston Chronicle, the
Minneapolis Tribune, the Texas Observer and the New York Times during her
almost four decades in journalism.

The three-time Pulitzer-prize finalist now writes for the Ft. Worth Star
Telegram and her column is syndicated via Creators Syndicate in over a hundred
papers across the country.

Her take on the issues of the day is often sharp, but never boring. Witness a
recent column on the shake-up in Haiti. It began: "Anyone see any reason to
think Haiti will be better off without Jean-Bertrand Aristide? Just another
little gift from the Bush foreign policy team, straight out of the whacko-right
playbook." Or her lead on a recent Howard Dean column which went: "Oh boy, a
close race in Wisconsin. This is swell! Go, Democrats. A few days ago, a
Respected Party Elder advised me to stop dissing John Kerry on account of, 'He
will be our nominee.' He may be 'our nominee,' but he'll still be a boring
stiff. OK, sort of an impressive boring stiff."

Expect that and more come April 20 say WMWSC members. And, they add, get
there early.

Contact Kathleen Underwood at Grand Valley at underwok@gvsu.edu or
616-331-2339.
NOTE: A picture of Molly Ivins is at
http://www.calvin.edu/news/photos/visitors/ivins.jpg

-end-
Received on Wed Mar 31 11:30:43 2004