Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins

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Our guest today is Janice Engel, the director of an amazing documentary film Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins. 

Who is Molly Ivins, some of you may ask?

Molly Ivins (1944-2007) was a famous Texan journalist and libertarian, who changed the space of journalism in the US. Using her witty persona and writing, she was challenging corruption and injustice wherever she saw them. But she was also an amazing cook and her recipes even ended up in a book!

Raise Hell premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, won the Audience Award at SXSW and numerous other festival awards. You can watch it on HULU, stream it through Magnolia Pictures, or Modern Films if you are in the UK.

In this episode Janice Engel and I talk about who the current Molly Ivins might be, why Texas is the blueprint for America, and how our society has become polarized to this extent. Janice is also a passionate foodie herself and I can't wait to taste her famous spicy fig jam!

"We have a shared humanity that we need to start embracing. We have one planet. And if you all want to go to Venus, have fun with it." - Janice Engel

Time Stamps:

00:50 - Who our guest is, and who Molly Ivins was.
2:28 - The trailer for Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.
4:40 - Showcasing Texas Real Food website.
9:00 - Janice Engel deputizes me.
11:32 - Is there a current Molly Ivins?
17:00 - Why Texas is the blueprint for America.
22:44 - How Janice experiences the divide in America.
27:50 - How America looked like post WWII and the roots of today’s divisions.
34:30 - The root of conspiracy theories in inequity.
39:00 - Education and massive middle class as a precondition for a healthy democracy.
44:20 - How eugenics started in America and not in Germany.
48:00 - Where food trucks in Austin disappeared and how much food businesses were affected by the pandemic.
52:32 - How America never experienced the horrors of wars on its territory.
55:00 - Janice’s passion for food and her favourite food places in Austin.
58:05 - What Janice’s last meal would be.
1:03:50 - Regenerative farming vs. factory farming.
1:09:35 - How Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins was received and the awards it won.
1:10:34 - How Molly was an amazing cook.
1:16:40 - Janice’s famous spicy fig jam.
1:17:55 - Where people can see the Molly Ivins movie.

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