There are many well renowned and highly acclaimed authors that have published their works all throughout the world during our lifetime, and one of those popular authors that we have seen have a fantastic career is that of Judy Blume. Blume is best known for her work writing books directed toward children and adolescent teens, and furthermore, she has been fearless in attacking the topics that are considered somewhat taboo in our society, including things such as teen sex, menstruation, and many other related issues. Although the author has been on her rise to fame since her first publication in the 60’s, there are still some things that aren’t so well known about Blume. That being said, we are here to count down the top five things that you may not know about Judy Blume, and what you should know regarding her amazing life and career.
‘In The Unlikely Event’
The book title, and the plot of the novel itself, revolved around real events that occurred during Blume’s early life. During the years of 1951 and 1952, there were three separate airplane crashes that occurred in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her father, who was a local dentist, actually took part in the investigations to help identify some of the remains of the 118 people who perished in the crashes.
Cancer Battles
Judy Blume has had her battles with cancer later in her life. In August of 2012, she announced that she was battling with breast cancer. She has also had cervical cancer, which she was diagnosed with back in 1995, resulting in her having a hysterectomy.
She Has Been Married Three Times
The author has been through three marriages during her lifetime. Her first marriage was with her ex husband John M. Blume, with whom she was married to for 17 years and had her two children with. Her second marriage was to Thomas A. Kitchens, and lasted a mere two years. Finally, she is currently married to her third husband, George Cooper, who she has been married to know for 31 years.
Controversy…
As we have mentioned previously, many of Blume’s young adult fiction novels have tackled several topics that are somewhat taboo in our society. This included things such as racism, masturbation, teen sexuality, divorce and family issues in the home, menstruation, and many more things. This has, of course, stirred much controversy over the years, with individuals who have felt that her books are covering topics that are not age appropriate for teenage readers.
…And Success
Regardless of the controversy that Judy Blume’s novels have stirred throughout her long career, she has found much success in her publications. In total, her books and novels have sold over 82 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 32 different languages because of the success and popularity. Even if these topics seem taboo, they are topics that peak interest in the minds of many individuals.
Needless to say, Judy Blume has had a career that so many dream of throughout the world today. Now at the age of 80, Judy resides in Key West with her husband, relaxing and taking the time to enjoy these years in her life. If you haven’t checked out some of Blume’s publications yet, it is about time to start reading her award winning novels and books, and see what all of the buzz is about.
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