When I lock myself up to write, I cannot allow myself to think about the censor or the reviewer or anyone but my characters and their story!
Judy BlumeRead
It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression and the potential loss of knowledge and creativity due to censorship.
Judy Blume's quote reflects a deep concern for the consequences of restricting literature and ideas. While the immediate threat may seem to be the censorship of existing books, the greater issue lies in the uncreated works and untold stories that will never come to life due to fear, repression, or societal pressures. This underscores the vital role of creativity and the need to foster an environment where all voices can be heard and shared.
Themes
CensorshipLiteratureFreedomExpressionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of intellectual freedom.
More from Judy Blume
All quotes →What I remember when I started to write was how I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to get to my characters.
Judy BlumeRead
What can happen if a young reader picks up a book he/she isn't yet ready for? Questions, maybe. Usually, that child puts down the book and says, 'Boring.' Or, 'I'm not ready for this.' Kids are really good at knowing what they can handle.
Judy BlumeRead
Concentrate on how good if feels to be alive. No matter what. Just to see the color of the sky, just to smell the air, and feel the wind in your face
Judy BlumeRead
I wrote 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' right out of my own experiences and my own feelings when I was in sixth grade.
Judy BlumeRead
Nobody ever asks me why my characters don't text each other. Besides, as soon as you put something 'electronic' in a book, it's already out of date by the time it's published: everything will have changed. Human emotion, on the other hand, will never change.
Judy BlumeRead
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