An Evening with Rachelle Bergstein, Author of The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us
An evening with Rachelle Bergstein, author of The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us, a biography of the iconic writer whose books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades, and sold tens of millions of copies.
In The Genius of Judy, Blume's remarkable story is revealed, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence.
Blume’s work provoked backlash, making her the country’s most-banned author in the 1980s. Thankfully, her works withstood those culture wars and it’s no coincidence that Blume has resurfaced as a cultural touchstone now. Young girls are still cat-called, sex education curricula are getting dismissed as pornography, and entire shelves of libraries are being banned. As we face these challenges, it’s only natural we look to Blume, the grand dame of so-called dirty books. This is the story of how a housewife became a groundbreaking artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy, today more than ever.
Registration required here.
Book sale and signing by Elm Street Books.
Rachelle Bergstein is a lifestyle writer, author and editor who focuses on style, pop culture and families. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, The New York Times, NPR and more. She is the author of three books: Women from the Ankle Down, Brilliance and Fire and The Genius of Judy. She lives with her husband and son in Brooklyn.