Chapter 6: Judy Blume on bouncing balls, biting breasts, and building bookstores
Did you grow up with Judy Blume?
My mom says I “found my voice” reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to my sister in the bathtub when I was a little kid. Well, I grabbed that tattered copy and carried it with me down to Key West, Florida where I had the extreme privilege of sitting down with the one and only Judy Blume (@JudyBlume).
Join us as Judy shares her three most formative books, how they inspired her, and we pull out some themes relevant to today.
Judy and I met on a hot and sweaty day in her Books & Books bookstore … where she works! I’m not joking. Step off your cruise ship and Judy Blume will ring up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey if you like. We grabbed a little circle table, set it up in front of the bestseller wall you see behind us, and then talked about her most formative books.
(As a special bonus, near the end of the chat we get up out of our seats and Judy gives us a walking tour of her store!)
In this chapter, Judy and I discuss censorship, why sexy scenes should be kept in books, how to get kids to love reading, the role of bookstores in a community, and a surprise reveal on which book Judy says is the only one she has left to write...
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- What is one of the greatest gifts parents can give their children?
- How can a writer create a world that readers can easily fall into with relatable characters?
- How does Judy free her mind in order to come up with incredibly imaginative stories?
- What book could Judy not put down in her 20s?
- Why does Judy prefer not to reread books?
- How do you recommend the right books to encourage children to love reading?
- Why aren't there sex scenes in books anymore?
- What do Judy and Neil disagree on?
- What's the first thing Judy does once her books are published?
- What's the only book Judy has left to write?
- What book did Judy steal... and why?
- What was Judy's household policy on reading censorship?
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You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/6
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