Judy Blume Books were banned in an attempt to persuade the public. “books are all about” during an interview published by Variety on Friday.
Blume Weighed in at book bans A report by the American Library Association shows that attempts to undermine literary materials at schools and public libraries hit a new high in 2022.
This iconic author is known for her activism against attempts to ban books. Several of her books have been challenged throughout the years. “Forever…” And “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”
Blume Variety reports that there are many challenges. “all broke loose” After the election, Ronald Reagan But he argued that today’s efforts to ban books are not the same.
“It was bad in the ’80s, but it wasn’t coming from the government. Today, there are laws being enacted where a librarian can go to prison if she or he is found guilty of having pornography on their shelves,” Blume said.
“Try and define pornography today, and you’ll find that it’s everything.”
Photo by Ivan Apfel/Getty Images
Blume’s comments come after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed efforts to eliminate books from state classrooms have only had an indirect impact “pornographic and inappropriate” materials, a claim that literary group PEN America declared false in a post last month.
Key West resident (Author) has also voiced his opposition to GOP-backed state efforts.
BlumeIn her interview with Variety she referred to politicians-led efforts to challenge books “the real danger.”
“What are you protecting your children from? Protecting your children means educating them and arming them with knowledge, and reading and supporting what they want to read,” Blume said.
“No child is going to become transgender or gay or lesbian because they read a book. It’s not going to happen. They may say, ‘Oh, this is just like me. This is what I’m feeling and thinking about.’ Or, ‘I’m interested in this because I have friends who may be gay, bi, lesbian.’ They want to know.”
Blume later praised one book – Maia Kobabe’s frequently-challenged memoir “Gender Queer” – for offering her insight into a life other than her own.
“I thought, ‘This young person is telling me how they came to be what they are today.’ And I learned a lot and became even more empathetic,” She said.
“That’s what books are all about.”’
More information is available here Blume’s interview with Variety here.
