Do you remember these?
My heart broke for Ramona Quimby when she misunderstood a school fad and cracked a raw, gooey egg over her head. And when she overheard her teacher calling her a "showoff" and a "nuisance". And as she fought off pestering from Yard Ape. I identified with Margaret's desire to grow up and away from her life as an "underdeveloped little kid". These girls were so... real.
Several years ago, I read a grown-up Judy Blume book titled Summer Sisters. I liked it. I visited her website to see if she had any others, and came upon her email address. A real, live email address for this writing icon. I just had to email her - Judy Blume!
So I emailed one of my writing heroes. I told her how much I enjoyed her new book and explained that my childhood years would have been missing something if she hadn't written about Ramona, Beezus, Margaret, and Superfudge.
Guess what? She wrote me back!
Dear Julie,
Thanks so much for your warm note. I'm touched by your feelings about Summer Sisters and how well you remember my other books. Wish there were time for a longer, more thoughtful response, but I'm overwhelmed right now and trying (desperately!) to find the quiet time necessary to write. Hope you understand. Readers like you have made my career and I can never thank you enough.
Come back and visit my website again. Hope to get some new info up soon.
Love,
Judy
I've saved this email ever since. This was before Twitter, before social media, before most blogs. Actually interacting with a famous author was a very special treat for me.
I wonder what parts of Amelia's childhood will stick with her? She is already a bookworm, I wonder what books will forever remain a piece of her childhood? Which characters will she identify with?
I'd like to keep my girl little forever, but watching her grow up will be mesmerizing.
I wonder who she will be?
4 comments:
That's a great story. I would have been so excited for a reply to. It woudl probably be framed and hanging somewhere in my house.
No, that's the true, I'd WANT to have it framed and hung somewhere in my house but it would be something that continually got pushed down on the to do list and I'd never get to it.
Still a great story!
This is awesome- I'd feel so giddy, too! I loved to Ramona books as a kid.
It really makes you respect Judy Blume, you know? Makes you feel like she really writes because she loves it and wants to connect with her audience. I feel like that is so rare these days. This post warms my heart :)
That's really great. It's so nice that she actually takes time for her fans! I loved her books too. I wonder what she's up to now...
That is so very awesome!!!
When I was in first or second grade, we had to write to our heroes and the other kids made fun of me because I wrote to Beverly Cleary while they all wrote to athletes and such. I was super bummed when about 30% of the kids got letters back and I never did.
I still love her books too, Judy Blume's as well! (And I follow Judy on twitter! Yay!)
So cool that you got a response though! That is AWESOME!
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