Join us as we welcome Mark Oppenheimer discussing his book Judy Blume: A Life.

Judy Blume is an icon among Amer­i­can authors of fic­tion, for both chil­dren and adults. One of the first authors of young adult books to write about pre­vi­ous­ly taboo sub­jects includ­ing inter­mar­riage, the uncom­fort­able aspects of puber­ty, and ado­les­cent sex, she has also become a vocal advo­cate for free­dom of expres­sion against the threat of cen­sor­ship. Mark Oppen­heimer, who had unprece­dent­ed access to a wide range of sources, reveals facts about Blume’s life and work that trans­form the leg­end into a com­plex woman and a mul­ti­fac­eted artist. His nuanced inter­pre­ta­tions of her work offer a fresh per­spec­tive on char­ac­ters who have entered the pan­theon of children’s fic­tion, includ­ing Mar­garet Simon, Sal­ly J. Freed­man, and Fudge Hatch­er, as well as numer­ous women in books for adults who push back against sti­fling norms of conformity.

Oppen­heimer deflects some of the assump­tions about Blume’s phe­nom­e­nal suc­cess, pro­duc­ing a truer por­trait of the writer who has come to rep­re­sent truth-telling in children’s books and con­vey­ing the chal­lenges of celebri­ty in a field where that sta­tus is uncom­mon. He notes both strengths and weak­ness­es of her books, as well as her per­son­al­i­ty. Char­ac­ter­iz­ing Blume as ​“one of the most for­tu­nate peo­ple in his­to­ry … as a Jew, in par­tic­u­lar, exquis­ite­ly lucky,” Oppen­heimer con­veys the essence of her remark­able accom­plish­ments and endur­ing lega­cy in the light of that truth.

IN-PERSON at B’nai Torah Congregation | $18/person

Click here to register

In partnership with