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We look at each other, and sometimes they cry, the beloved author, 85, says.
And then of course, I start tearing up too.
This was their life and this was my life.
Blume isnt being hyperbolic over this shared connection.
(I even got misty-eyed during this interview).
Its Me, Margaret, was published in 1970.
Shes been our advisor and confidante on everything from bras and bullying to, of course, periods.
Ask any Gen X or millennial womanor working writerand she most definitely has a Judy Blume story.
Its Me, Margaret,will be released in theatersthis Friday.
When I ask if Blume couldve ever guessed the 160-page novel, with chants like We must!
We must increase our bust!, would have such staying power, she laughs.
I didnt even know if it would be published!
Margaretalso costars Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates, but Blume was fully hands-off when it came to casting decisions.
Kelly knew right away that she had found her Margaret in Ryder Fortson.
And it turns out that she is my Margaret too.
Shes so incredibly natural.
Theres not a false moment in her performance.
Blume herself even has a blink-and-youll-miss-it cameo in the film.
Though, the audience in my screening most certainly didnt miss it, and promptly broke out into cheers.
Glamour:Are You There God?
But youve always said that it was off the table, hands down, and not to be considered.
Of all of your books, why wasMargaretspecifically something you felt so protective of?
I thought that it wouldnt work because of the cutesy factor with young Hollywood actors.
I was so afraid of that, that I didnt want to ruin it for the readers.
So I didnt do it.
So what made you finally say yes?
An email from Kelly Fremon Craig, who is a very persuasive writer.
But even so, thats not what did it.
What did it was her incredible credential, which she dropped at the bottom of the letter.
I love that movie.
You did that movie?
No one had ever come to me before with that kind of credential.
It was real and honest.
And I thought, This cant get any better.
What was that one thing?
When I asked them how they envisioned the setting, they said, Only in 1970.
So that was great.
I think Margaret exists today, but I think social media also exists today.
Something that I loved so much in the film was the pure innocence I felt while watching.
It felt like a time capsule and a world untainted by social media.
You think of it as pure innocence, but I dont think of it that way.
None of us have pure innocence.
I dont buy pure innocence.
I think the nostalgia factor is at work here with you, and I think thats wonderful.
Its taking you back to a time that you remember, and it seems that it was more innocent.
With two back-to-back films focused on you, how does it feel to be on the press circuit?
Are you enjoying it?
Im trying to get through it and survive.
Because Im 85, it can be very, very tiring.
At that point, I said, Never again.
Im never doing TV or interviews again.
Im done with all that stuff.
But theres fun to be had.
Talking to you is fun.
And going to the premiere and hearing 1,400 people in a theater all laughing at once was just great.
Im never doing it again, so I might as well enjoy it.
Well, you said you were never doing it again before…
But Im really not.
Okay, I believe you.
What do you think it is aboutMargaretthat means so much to women?
Women have been telling me for 50 years.
Its seeing yourself, when you think youre the only one, and finding yourself in a book.
And today its seeing it again and bringing you right back to your childhood.
They forgot that part.
What they remember is the puberty, because thats what they were interested in at the time.
Did readers come up to you and reveal their innermost thoughts?
Has that weighed on you?
It doesnt weigh on me the way it did when the children were writing to me.
Some of the letters I received were very, very serious.
I felt so in love with some of them.
She taught me very quickly that my role was to be a supportive adult and friend in their lives.
That was something I could do and helped me a lot.
I was paid $350 for my first advance and $800 for my second.
What was your first big purchase?
With that first $350 I made, I bought myself a new electric typewriter.
That was a big thing.
Im not a big spender.
I actually wore my secretarys little diamond necklace during the book tour forIn the Unlikely Event.
She told me to wear it.
Ive been wearing it every day since.
Buy yourself a present every now and then.
What is that like for you right now?
Weve been here at least 30 years, so this is a relatively new change.
Many people I know are thinking that we have to get out of here.
We cannot live in this state and raise our kids in this state.
And I mean, George and I have talked about it too.
And of course, there is also censorship.
Now we have the government saying, This is what it’s possible for you to know.
George is just finishing a book on Mussolini, and unfortunately there are too many similarities.
Its very, very frightening.
To have that taken away from you, especially as a kid, is just shocking and terrible.
What do you like about aging?
Im grateful to be 85 and in good condition.
Aging is a part of lifeyou dont get to decide or choose; it just happens to you.
Would I like to go back 40 years?
But Ive learned a lot.
This is also a really sweet time between me and my kids.
Being 85, your kids understand that youre not going to be there forever.
We are really enjoying one another right now, and I think were better friends than weve ever been.
Whats your writing process like?
First, I do my exercise walk, then I come home and have breakfast.
I take a shower, get dressed for the day, and put on my silver bangle.
I wear a silver bangle all the timeits kind of my good luck charm, an old Navajo bracelet.
Thats when I feel dressed and ready for work.
I need absolute silence.
I go into a little room and stay there, which is hard.
But Im not writing now.
Ive given myself permission to stop and enjoy myself.
I enjoy being at the bookstore, and embracing the new things happening throughout life.
I think thats a huge part of staying young.
Whats your breakfast of choice?
Its my favorite meal of the day.
My everyday breakfast is cereal with skim milk, bananas, and blueberries.
And latelyand I cannot explain thisIve become addicted to matzoh.
I have maybe a third of a sheet after my breakfast.
What are you currently reading?
Hello, Beautifulby Ann Napolitano.
And I just finished Rebecca Makkais new novel,I Have Some Questions for You.
It was such a page-turner.
What does self-care look like to you?
Im trying really hard.
I promised my kids and my doctor, who said to me, Beware of Betty White syndrome.
Im like, What is that?
Its being a certain age, being asked to do everything, and doing it.
But it served her well!
She lived a long time.
Given the success ofAre You There God?
I hope it will beSummer Sisters.
I think it would work really well.
Its dark and its sexy.
Its about a friendship that we see from age 12 to 30.
I can see it in my head.
I really hope we do it.
Before I let you go: Youve been declared a living legend by the Library of Congress.
How does that make you feel?
I dont think of myself as any of those things.
I think youre in big trouble if you start thinking of yourself as a living legend.
Every honor is an honor, and I thank everybody, but Im Judy.
Im a wife, mother, companion, and friend.
Im someone who has had a wonderful career writingsomething I never knew could ever happenand it changed my life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Caitlin Brody isGlamours entertainment director.
