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CNN Live Today
Interview with Judy Blume
Aired September 30, 2002 - 10:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's never too early in the morning to talk fudge, and we're not talking about the kind you eat, rather the kind of young Fudge Hatcher. Of course, if you are a Judy Blume fan, and she does have them of all ages, you are going to know who we are talking about. She has a new book out today, it is called "Double Fudge." It tells what happens when Fudge learns the value of money.
And author Judy Blume joins us from New York to talk about it -- Judy, such a pleasure to get to talk with you.
JUDY BLUME, AUTHOR, "DOUBLE FUDGE": Thank you, thank you for having me.
KAGAN: They called me on Friday and they said you are going to be interviewing Judy Blume. I flashed back immediately to those pre- teen years, "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret," and "Forever." My mind started racing, all of those books -- I can't tell you how me and my girlfriends, we just poured through your books when we were younger.
BLUME: Oh, thank you. I am very glad you did.
KAGAN: This comes on a day -- your book is coming out on a day that -- we are seeing there is a big article, and probably haven't had a chance to see this, but it is in "Time" magazine, and it is talking about teen sex, and I couldn't help but think that the teenagers who are growing up today, it is so different than when I was that age, if you were writing those kind of books today, would you do it differently in how you approached sexuality in teenagers?
BLUME: I don't think so, I -- you know, there is a responsibility that goes along with sexuality, but puberty is still puberty. It is new for every kid. I mean, they look forward to it, they are curious about it, and then they want the information about it. And I think if the poll is the same one, the kids in this poll said that what they really needed was more and better sex information education.
KAGAN: And give that information, which is what you do in your books. Now, of course, the latest one is for a little bit younger audience, this one is "Double Fudge," bringing back one of your very popular characters, and -- in Fudge and his brother Peter. These boys aren't exactly aging like the rest of us, Judy.
BLUME: They are never going to age, either. I mean, it is the 30th anniversary of "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," the first book about Peter and Fudge and their families, and the kids are still the same age. So that's how it is going to stay, yes.
KAGAN: And this time around, inspired by your grandson.
BLUME: Inspired by my grandson, who insisted...
KAGAN: How did that come about?
BLUME: Because Fudge became his favorite of all of my characters, and he begged and pleaded for another book, and we used to play a game that he invented called the "Fudge game," were I had to be Fudge, and he got to be my big brother Peter, and boss me around a little bit. And he begged, Another book, another book, another book, and then there were all those kids out there. That is how all of the Fudge books came, I never intended to write more of them, but the kids wouldn't let it go, and so Elliott (ph) too said Please, please, please, and I said, Look, if I get an idea, but don't hold your breath, I don't think I will get an idea.
KAGAN: So there is a very happy grandson out there today, I imagine.
BLUME: I hope so.
KAGAN: This one about money, and kids and money, and that is also a topic that a lot of kids' books don't address.
BLUME: You know, in watching Elliott (ph) and watching a lot of other little kids, they seem to think that money just comes right out of those cash machines, you know? If you don't have any money, you go to the cash machine, and you put in a card, and it spits it out, and you have whatever you want. So, that was how I got the idea, and I loved having Fudge become obsessed by money, and making Fudge books -- Bucks.
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: I know, I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Fudge myself.
BLUME: Yes, Fudge Bucks, that is hard to say. And he is going to buy Toys 'R' Us or maybe New York City, he has big plans.
KAGAN: I bet he does. Anybody who has had kids, who grew up reading your books, knows that you have been in the business a long time of writing kids' books. In this day and age of "Harry Potter," and how that has just kind of taken the kids' world -- especially books -- by storm, does that change how you write for kids, or are you just going to be Judy Blume?
BLUME: I am afraid I am just going to be Judy Blume, but I must say that in "Double Fudge," there is a reference to "Harry Potter." I am a big defender of "Harry Potter," and I think any book that gets kids to read are books that we should cherish, we should be thankful for them. But in this book, Fudge has it all wrong, and he thinks if he says the name Harry Potter, he has to spit three times on the back of his hands, or some magical something will happen to him.
KAGAN: He won't be a Muggle anymore. So you have been writing for kids -- anything for adults coming out?
BLUME: Not right now. The last one was "Summer Sisters." I always say, after every book, this is it -- I am never doing it again. But the important thing for me with Fudge is for parents and kids to be able to laugh together, and especially for kids to find that books are just the greatest fun.
KAGAN: Well, as you said any book that gets a kid to read is a great book indeed, and your books have done that, and just on a personal note, they really did it for me, right around that 7th, 8th grade time was really when you got me. So, thank you so much, and good luck with the latest book.
BLUME: Thank you, and I am glad you turned out so well having grown up on my books.
KAGAN: Oh, thank you. Leon, my partner, might have a different opinion on that.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We'll talk, we'll talk.
BLUME: I have been watching you, and I know. It is OK.
KAGAN: Thank you, thank you so much. Judy Blume.
BLUME: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 30, 2002 - 10:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's never too early in the morning to talk fudge, and we're not talking about the kind you eat, rather the kind of young Fudge Hatcher. Of course, if you are a Judy Blume fan, and she does have them of all ages, you are going to know who we are talking about. She has a new book out today, it is called "Double Fudge." It tells what happens when Fudge learns the value of money.
And author Judy Blume joins us from New York to talk about it -- Judy, such a pleasure to get to talk with you.
JUDY BLUME, AUTHOR, "DOUBLE FUDGE": Thank you, thank you for having me.
KAGAN: They called me on Friday and they said you are going to be interviewing Judy Blume. I flashed back immediately to those pre- teen years, "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret," and "Forever." My mind started racing, all of those books -- I can't tell you how me and my girlfriends, we just poured through your books when we were younger.
BLUME: Oh, thank you. I am very glad you did.
KAGAN: This comes on a day -- your book is coming out on a day that -- we are seeing there is a big article, and probably haven't had a chance to see this, but it is in "Time" magazine, and it is talking about teen sex, and I couldn't help but think that the teenagers who are growing up today, it is so different than when I was that age, if you were writing those kind of books today, would you do it differently in how you approached sexuality in teenagers?
BLUME: I don't think so, I -- you know, there is a responsibility that goes along with sexuality, but puberty is still puberty. It is new for every kid. I mean, they look forward to it, they are curious about it, and then they want the information about it. And I think if the poll is the same one, the kids in this poll said that what they really needed was more and better sex information education.
KAGAN: And give that information, which is what you do in your books. Now, of course, the latest one is for a little bit younger audience, this one is "Double Fudge," bringing back one of your very popular characters, and -- in Fudge and his brother Peter. These boys aren't exactly aging like the rest of us, Judy.
BLUME: They are never going to age, either. I mean, it is the 30th anniversary of "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," the first book about Peter and Fudge and their families, and the kids are still the same age. So that's how it is going to stay, yes.
KAGAN: And this time around, inspired by your grandson.
BLUME: Inspired by my grandson, who insisted...
KAGAN: How did that come about?
BLUME: Because Fudge became his favorite of all of my characters, and he begged and pleaded for another book, and we used to play a game that he invented called the "Fudge game," were I had to be Fudge, and he got to be my big brother Peter, and boss me around a little bit. And he begged, Another book, another book, another book, and then there were all those kids out there. That is how all of the Fudge books came, I never intended to write more of them, but the kids wouldn't let it go, and so Elliott (ph) too said Please, please, please, and I said, Look, if I get an idea, but don't hold your breath, I don't think I will get an idea.
KAGAN: So there is a very happy grandson out there today, I imagine.
BLUME: I hope so.
KAGAN: This one about money, and kids and money, and that is also a topic that a lot of kids' books don't address.
BLUME: You know, in watching Elliott (ph) and watching a lot of other little kids, they seem to think that money just comes right out of those cash machines, you know? If you don't have any money, you go to the cash machine, and you put in a card, and it spits it out, and you have whatever you want. So, that was how I got the idea, and I loved having Fudge become obsessed by money, and making Fudge books -- Bucks.
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: I know, I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Fudge myself.
BLUME: Yes, Fudge Bucks, that is hard to say. And he is going to buy Toys 'R' Us or maybe New York City, he has big plans.
KAGAN: I bet he does. Anybody who has had kids, who grew up reading your books, knows that you have been in the business a long time of writing kids' books. In this day and age of "Harry Potter," and how that has just kind of taken the kids' world -- especially books -- by storm, does that change how you write for kids, or are you just going to be Judy Blume?
BLUME: I am afraid I am just going to be Judy Blume, but I must say that in "Double Fudge," there is a reference to "Harry Potter." I am a big defender of "Harry Potter," and I think any book that gets kids to read are books that we should cherish, we should be thankful for them. But in this book, Fudge has it all wrong, and he thinks if he says the name Harry Potter, he has to spit three times on the back of his hands, or some magical something will happen to him.
KAGAN: He won't be a Muggle anymore. So you have been writing for kids -- anything for adults coming out?
BLUME: Not right now. The last one was "Summer Sisters." I always say, after every book, this is it -- I am never doing it again. But the important thing for me with Fudge is for parents and kids to be able to laugh together, and especially for kids to find that books are just the greatest fun.
KAGAN: Well, as you said any book that gets a kid to read is a great book indeed, and your books have done that, and just on a personal note, they really did it for me, right around that 7th, 8th grade time was really when you got me. So, thank you so much, and good luck with the latest book.
BLUME: Thank you, and I am glad you turned out so well having grown up on my books.
KAGAN: Oh, thank you. Leon, my partner, might have a different opinion on that.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We'll talk, we'll talk.
BLUME: I have been watching you, and I know. It is OK.
KAGAN: Thank you, thank you so much. Judy Blume.
BLUME: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
