10/09/2026
Journalist Mark Oppenheimer, author of "Judy Blume: A Life," visited Orchard Cove to discuss the prolific writer's career and how, over the course of 55 years, her work rewired the world's expectations of what literature for young readers could be.
Oppenheimer is the creator and former host of "Unorthodox," Tablet Magazine's podcast about Jewish life and culture, and the host of "Arc: The Podcast" for the online journal Arc: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera.
He first met Blume after writing the 1997 New York Times essay "Why Judy Blume Endures," and while researching the biography, he interviewed Blume, her children, her husband, and about 100 acquaintances. He also read through 130 boxes of documents Blume had donated to Yale University.
"She had a tremendous creative drive, and it was going unfulfilled," Oppenheimer said, noting that before she began writing, Blume had tried her hand at composing music and creating visual art.
Blume took a "writing for children" night class at the New York University extension school, where she started writing "Iggie's House." It was the first of 10 books written between 1970 and 1975, followed by titles like "Freckle Juice," "Blubber," and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."
The latter "is a really beautiful story of personal development in every possible way. This book was not an instant success, but it slowly grew through word of mouth. Within a year or two, it was popular enough to already be challenged and banned at many high school and middle school libraries across the country," Oppenheimer said.
He said many of Blume's books became classics, often selling millions of copies. With more than 90 million books sold, Blume is the best-selling female Jewish author ever.
"She showed that the field of young adult literature and children's literature was so popular, bookstores and publishers started demanding more of it," Oppenheimer said, noting that bookstores did not have children's or young adult sections before Blume.
Oppenheimer was introduced by Orchard Cove resident Judith Klau, whom he first met when he was a student at the Loomis Chaffee School. Klau interviewed him during the school's accreditation process, and the two discovered they lived one street apart in the Forest Park area of Springfield, Massachusetts.
"We ended up having a wonderful conversation. Over the years, after I graduated from college and began writing, from time to time, I would get a note from her. When I began hosting a podcast about Jewish life and culture, she was a listener and came to at least one of our live tapings. It's been a wonderful friendship," he said.
