"Oh, Judy Blume! She was my childhood." This is pretty much the response of everyone I talk to upon hearing the name of the beloved author. Judy helped so many of us get through our pre-teen years. She took our anxieties seriously and created no-nonsense characters that made us feel seen. It saddens me that our current leaders are taking away similar voices and characters from kids today in a shocking and terrifying manner. All humans need to feel seen, loved, and accepted. It's cruel to take away the very things that kids need and crave the most.
The truth is, those anxious feelings from fifth grade never really go away. The uncertainty of growing up and figuring out your body continues to plague us throughout life. I recently read this Atlantic piece on Judy Blume and her childhood friends, who still get together and now talk about hearing aids instead of period anxieties. Despite the different topics, the human nature of it all remains the same.
As a long-time reader and fan of Judy Blume, you can imagine my excitement at the opportunity to partner with her on an epic new documentary, Judy Blume Forever. It debuts on Amazon on April 21st and I can confidently say that it delivers all you'd hope it would and more. Our official Judy Blume sweaters, which launch today, are hand-embroidered with the phrase "i read banned books." They're a perfect way to pay tribute to Blume's iconic legacy and to make sure the world knows that banning voices from our libraries is not the answer.
The solution isn't more bans, more censorship, or more rejection. The answer is love and acceptance. I have been wearing my "i read banned books" sweater with pride all week and love the conversations it's facilitated. I hope you are inspired to do the same.
xo Rachelle
p.s. Go Here to see images from last week's Judy Blume Screening we hosted at Fouqets in NYC.
