"> Name: Judy Blume, American writer for adolescents

Date:  1951 - 1975 , 1975 - 1984

Location:  North America

Subject:  Explicit Sexuality

Medium:  Literature

Artist: Judy Blume

Confronting Bodies: Literary critics, schools and libraries across the United States

Date of Action: 1970-present

Specific Location: United States

Description of Artwork: Judy Blume is a reknown adolescent book writer. Her first controversial novel, "Are you there, God" It's Me, Margaret" (1970), is a reflection by a 12-year-old girl on subjects like large breasts and menstruation. Her novel "Deenie" (1973) includes female masturbation, "Blubber" (1974)has a bullying heroine and "Forever" (1975) includes adolescent sexual intercourse.



Description of Incident: "Are you there..." was banned by Blume's children's elementary school principal. Around the country, critics called her work, "anti-Christian and against parental and school authority." In 1983, schools in Leesburg, Florida and Peoria, Illinois, removed her books from their school libraries.



Results of Incident: The ACLU has challenged much of the censorship against Blume's books. Many of her titles are still on the American Library Association's banned books list.



Source: Censorship, A World Encyclopedia, ed. D. Jones

Submitted By: NCAC

 





	


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