Judy Blume is an American author celebrated for her many children and young adult novels that have been translated into 31 languages.
Blume's work, including Iggie's House, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., It's Not the End of the World, Just as Long as We're Together, Blubber, Deenie, Forever, and Tiger Eyes (to name a few) have sparked young discussion about racism, divorce, teen sex, bullying, and coming of age, but have also been criticized for their level of "appropriateness" for young audiences.
Blume is steadfast in her fight against censorship and for the freedom of information and literature for young people. And in honor of her 75th birthday, we've collected a few literary lessons from the kickass lady who led many of us through young adulthood.
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10. "Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear."
9. "The best books come from someplace deep inside.... Become emotionally involved. If you don't care about your characters, your readers won't either."
8. "Not everything has to have a point. Some things just are. "
7. "A good writer is always a people watcher."
6. "It's all about your determination, I think, as much as anything. There are a lot of people with talent, but it's that determination."
Watch Author Judy Blume on PBS. See more from Tavis Smiley.
5. "Something will be offensive to someone in every book, so you've got to fight it."
4. "What's the point of thinking about how it's going to end when it's just the beginning?"
3. "That's not a bad word ... hate and war are bad words but fuck isn't."
2. "[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers."
1. "My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for help if you need it."