Are you there Judy Blume? It’s me, Smithsonian:
Do you plan which important life issue you will deal with in a book?
I always have some idea of the story I’m about to tell. I knew Davey’s father would die suddenly and violently in Tiger Eyes. I knew Rachel Robinson’s brother Charles would disrupt the family in Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson. With Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I thought I was writing about organized religion, yet the book has become famous for dealing with puberty. Hardly anyone ever mentions religion or Margaret’s very personal relationship with God. There’s so much I don’t know when I start writing a book. That’s the best part of writing for me—the surprises along the way.
Which character from your books do you identify with the most?
Sally from Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself. It’s my most autobiographical book. But I identify with all of my characters. A writer has to do so if she wants her readers to identify with them as well.
Four of your books are among the American Library Association’s Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009. How do authors feel when they are added to this list?
I suspect many authors today are proud because those who challenge their books don’t do so unless they aren’t already popular. But when my books were first attacked in the early 1980s, there was no list and I felt no pride—only anger, sadness and a sense of isolation.