Alongside other reckless literary works such as The Anarchist's Cookbook, Lenin's State and Revolution and Rushdie's Satanic Verses stands an equally dangerous novel of different persuasion: Forever. Judy Blume, author of adolescent classics Fudgemania, SuperFudge and Freckle Juice is one of the most banned and challenged writers in America. Since the early 1980s her many detractors have feverishly cited Blume's explicit promotion of teenage insubordination, masturbation and the encouragement of adolescent sexual behavior as valid reasons to remove her books from shelves in libraries and schools across the country.

A novel most likely found hidden deep in teenage girls' sock drawers, along with other coming-of-age secrets, Forever (1975;Bradbury) is the tale of an eighteen-year old heroine's first sexual experience. Written, like many of Blume's novels, in simple, colloquial, almost diary-like language, Forever begins in that most perilous of times: summer vacation after 11th grade. Virginal Katherine meets a more "experienced" Michael and they move slowly along the path towards premarital defilement. Throughout the story Katherine and Michael's sexual orientation is guided by like-minded friends and when they mutually agree to have sex, they are sure it will seal a love that is "forever."

The novel's frank treatment of adolescent sexuality broke many barriers in terms of mid-70s American mainstream literature. The female protagonist's independent approach to her sexual desire is highlighted when she visits the Planned Parenthood clinic and goes on the pill. Still a controversial subject at the time in American high schools this was deemed a "dangerous promotion of sexual promiscuity" in teenagers. A high school librarian in Schaumburg, Illinois said the book is "basically a sexual 'how-to-do' book for junior-high students" and promptly removed it from the school library.

As Katherine's summer nears an end she finds herself limited by her relationship with Michael and so distances herself from him as she begins to fall for an older, even more experienced, tennis instructor. Katherine's seemingly uninhibited desire caused many moral critics to create a furor over what they called "her loose enjoyment of sex." As Reagan's Republicans came to power in 1980, Blume's opposition picked up steam. Between the years of 1982 and 1986 Forever was removed from school and public libraries in more than 10 US states. The reasons given ranged from four-letter words to birth control to disobedience towards parents.

Forever was not the only one of Blume's novels under fire from censors. Her 1973 novel Deenie was banned for teenage masturbation scenes, Tiger Eyes (1981) was removed from libraries for references to suicide, teenage alcohol abuse and anti-intellectualism. Also Blubber, one of Blume's most well-known novels, was placed on the American Library Association's (ALA) most challenged books list for it's offensive language and unpunished bullying. Judy Blume has a total of 3 novels on the ALA list of Top 50 most challenged and banned books in America. As increasing amounts of censors began looking over her shoulder, Blume went on the attack. She became a prominent spokesperson for intellectual and artistic freedom in the United States. Blume writes on her website: "book banning satisfies (adult) need to feel in control over their children's lives." She also became a member of the board for the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and in 1999, edited Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers which is a collection of stories written for young adults with all proceeds going to the NCAC. Throughout her career Judy Blume has been accused of being a communist, a poor parent and of ruining Christmas. She has published over 20 novels that have sold over 75 million copies worldwide. Blume is the recipient of the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards award for lifetime achievement along with some 90 other literary awards.

Despite her efforts and notoriety, Blume's books are still being removed from library shelves across America. As recently as 2005 in Pasadena, Texas a parent's complaint concerning Forever resulted in the book being removed from the city's school libraries. In northern California, the same year, a 6-year-old student was charged with sexual harassment for bringing her copy of Forever to school to lend a friend.

Facing some of the same literary hardships as historical writers such as Marx, Joyce and Rushdie, Judy Blume continues to craft enigmatic literatures for the world's awkward pubescent masses. Believe what you will, but the opening pages of Forever speak for themselves: "Sybil Davison has a genius IQ and has been laid by at least six different guys. She told me herself, the last time she was visiting her cousin, Erica, who is my good friend. Erica said this is because of Sybil's fat problem and her need to feel loved — the getting laid part that is."

-Jordan Small


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