Naomi Weisman is a Canadian, Australian, and mother of three who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
I was born in 1967. Most of my friends were born in the same era, so we have similar influences that helped to shape who we are. One such influence is Judy Blume. I can say without any hesitation that she is the reason that reading is such a huge part of my life. I think many women in my age range would say the same.
When Blume was in her mid-30s, she began her career as a writer to entertain herself while raising her kids at home. Blume was one of the first young adult fiction authors to write novels focused on controversial topics such as masturbation, menstruation, teen sex, birth control, and death. Her books have sold over 82 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages.
When I was ten years old, I got my period for the first time. My mother had never spoken to me about menstruation because it wasn't on her radar. She had been forced to have a hysterectomy in her early 20s due to severe endometriosis, and she hadn't had her period in over a decade. So she had forgotten to teach me anything about it, and I guess she didn't think I needed to know because I was so young. The whole experience was scary and embarrassing. I felt like a freak and kept it a secret from my friends.
I had read other books by Judy Blume, like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Blubber, but when I picked up Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, my heart swelled, and bells started ringing in my head. Margaret and her friends were saying things and worrying about things that were also on my mind. It was as if I were in their club! I no longer felt like a freak.
As a product of the 60s and 70s, we girls didn't hear much about female issues. Judy made it okay for us to be curious. She opened a dialogue and made it OK to voice our questions and concerns. She made it easy for us to laugh about what we were going through in prepubescence and puberty; she identified what bullying looked like and made it okay for us to be individuals.
In fact, when we were 12 years old, in the 7th grade, my friends and I discovered Blume's book Forever. It was a book about teenage sex, which was forbidden to read in public, especially in front of our parents. In the 7th grade, we kids gained a modicum of freedom and could leave school grounds at lunchtime. So, a few of us would walk over to the nearest bookstore and read a chapter of Forever. We would remember where we left off and read the next chapter when we could. We learned what sex and cum (I thought they spelled it wrong) meant and that teenage love was normal.
I heard an interview with Judy Blume on public radio a while back. They talked about her life and work, but mostly about her new project- a movie version of Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret. I vowed to myself then and there that I would go and see it when it came to theatres. Then I promptly forgot about it. It wasn't until just the other day when my partner asked me if I wanted to go and see a movie and reminded me of it.
Well, let me tell you, it was just like the book. This movie transports you back to being 12, awkward and questioning. Margaret, played by Abby Ryder Fortson, is so believable, filled with heart and preteen angst. Her mother, Barbara, played by Rachel McAdams, is strong yet clearly a product of her generation. Her struggles mirror her daughter's in many ways, which I loved to watch play out. Oh, and Elle Graham, the actor who plays Nancy Wheeler, is wonderful in the role. So funny but also complex.
The theatre was filled with women and their young daughters. It made me long for my daughter to be 12 again so that I could see this movie with her and laugh …okay, I'll admit it … and cry. It is a beautiful reminder of why reading is a fundamental part of thinking, feeling, and digesting.
I would love to hear about your experiences with reading Judy Blume, and if you've seen the film, what did you think of it in the comments.
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