A popular children’s book and adult fiction author Judy Blume He criticized the book publisher Puffin for publishing a more politically correct “updated” version of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books, saying, “I don’t believe in it.”
The author of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret and Tales from Fourth Grade Nothing told Variety in a recent interview that she agreed that Dahl may have used problematic language in his writing, but insisted his work should not have been like that. changing.
She said that the children “love the way he writes”.
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Judy Blume in conversation with WLRN’s Alicia Zuckerman at Temple Judea on June 15, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Aaron Davidson/Getty Images)
Bloom’s words came in response to the controversial news that the British publishing company Puffin has decided to update Roald Dahl’s classic works with less offensive language.
On behalf of Fox News Digital reported in febA publisher has altered children’s books by Roald Dahl—the author of several well-received children’s books that were later made into hit movies, including “Matilda,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”—to remove language that considered offensive now.”
The reports detailed that Puffin UK had “hired sensitive readers to make changes to certain parts of the author’s wording in the UK editions as part of an effort to ensure the books continue to be enjoyed by all today”.
The announcement prompted a swift reaction from critics, who claimed the update was an oversight. The backlash prompted the publisher to change the trackleaving Dahl’s original works in print as a “classic” edition, and making the updated editions a separate line.
Speaking with Variety about its new “Power of Women” release, Bloom disagreed with the publisher’s move. When asked about it, he suggested having Dahl in his arms. She said, “What do you think about rewriting Roald Dahl’s books? I think if Roald Dahl were around, you’d hear what he thinks about that.”
Bloom admitted that she felt some of the language in Dahl’s work was problematic but insisted this did not mean it had to be changed.
She claimed, “Whatever it is, whatever it’s accused of, there’s a lot of truth. But books are books. Kids still love books, and they love them the way he wrote them. So I don’t believe in this.”
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Judy Blume during the 15th Annual Glamor Awards Women of the Year – Red Carpet at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, New York, US. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage) (Getty Images)
When asked if a similar update could be done for her books, she replied “Not as long as I’m around.”
The interview turned to Bloom’s own experience with censorship of her work. She recounted how in the past several decades her popular books for adults and children had been banned in some school libraries because of their content.
Variety explained that her “1970 novel Are You There God?” It’s Me, Margaret” is banned for showing middle school students talking about periods, while in 1973, in Deenie, teenage girls learn about and engage in masturbation. (1975) follows a high school student who learns to stop being afraid of sex when she enters In her first serious relationship.
Bloom commented, “In the ’80s everything was disjointed, after the election of Reagan.” Bloom also mentioned how her children’s elementary school banned “Margaret” from the library shelves. She said, “He thought menstruation wasn’t a topic for girls to read about, let alone how many children had already had their periods.”
Bloom stated that this oversight is getting worse. She told the outlet, “It was bad in the ’80s, but it wasn’t coming from the government. Today, there are laws being made where a librarian can go to jail if found guilty of or guilty of rack pornography. Try defining pornography today and you’ll find it’s all something “.
Bloom was clearly targeting conservative efforts to remove inappropriate books from children’s school libraries. At the end of the interview, she said, “No kid will become transgender or gay or lesbian because they read a book. It won’t. They might say, ‘Oh, that’s just like me. ‘” This is how I feel and think about it. “
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Bloom then explicitly defended the book.gay sex“a book by Maya Copabi found in public school libraries challenged by American parents” for its depictions and descriptions of oral sex as well as discussions of masturbation.
She said, “I just read a book that was enlightening me so wonderfully. It’s called ‘Gender’. It’s probably the #1 banned book in America right now. And I thought, ‘This young man is telling me how they came to be who they are today. ‘” And I learned a lot, and I became more empathetic. That’s what the books are about. “
Roald Dahl, author of many popular works, including Matilda and James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Tony Evans, E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)