Her Books Went Through Our Whole Life
Lisa Dayton Petersen on the books of Judy Blume
On the Pod This Week:
(Lisa and her daughter Emma, who previously appeared on Episode 138.)
This week’s guest is my best from all the way back in college, Lisa Dayton Petersen. Lisa and I have been talking books for decades, and when Judy Blume came up early this summer, we made a pact to re-read her books and meet to talk about them. Lisa is so smart and insightful, I will read almost anything she tells me to read.
Show Notes:
Discussed in this episode
The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
The Warrior Cats Series by Erin Hunter
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume
Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume
It’s Not the End of the World by Judy Blume
Judy Blume Forever - 2023 film
Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret - 2023 film
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Also, for fun: 87 Books Featured in “You’ve Got Mail”
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Julie’s Current Read:
Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius by Nick Hornby
The best part of browsing bookstores (besides being near so many beautiful books) is randomly stumbling on titles that you wouldn’t find in an online search. I randomly picked this one up while browsing the newest Tattered Cover location in Colorado Springs. My husband and I rarely have the same taste in books, but Nick Hornby is one of the few authors who is an auto-buy for both of us.
This one is a quick read, and a fascinating glimpse into the lives of two artists.
From the back cover:
“Equipped with a fan's admiration and his trademark humor and wit, Nick Hornby invites us into his latest obsession: the cosmic link between two unlikely artists, geniuses in their own rights, spanning race, class, and centuries--each of whom electrified their different disciplines and whose legacy resounded far beyond their own time.
When Prince's 1987 record Sign o' the Times was rereleased in 2020, the iconic album now came with dozens of songs that weren't on the original-- Prince was endlessly prolific, recording 102 songs in 1986 alone. In awe, Hornby began to wonder, Who else ever produced this much? Who else ever worked that way? He soon found his answer in Victorian novelist and social critic Charles Dickens, who died more than a hundred years before Prince began making music.
Examining the two artists' personal tragedies, social statuses, boundless productivity, and other parallels, both humorous and haunting, Hornby shows how these two unlikely men from different centuries "lit up the world." In the process, he creates a lively, stimulating rumination on the creativity, flamboyance, discipline, and soul it takes to produce great art.”
Julie’s Current Listen:
Instead of listening to an audiobook this week, I opted to binge through this podcast series about the lives and scandals of Michael Jackson.
From the podcast webpage:
“More than a decade since Michael Jackson’s death, his legacy remains complicated and unresolved. Think Twice: Michael Jackson is an exploration of the King of Pop’s life and impact – and an investigation into why his global influence continues to endure, despite the disturbing allegations against him. In this ten-part series, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth bring you a new perspective on the Michael Jackson story, based on dozens of original interviews with people who watched it unfold from up close.”
Like every Gen Xer on the planet, I have complicated feelings about Michael Jackson. His music was quite literally the soundtrack of my early life. He was also a monster.
Both things are true.
I wanted this podcast series to help me wrestle with these conflicts. I love when smart people can shine a light on The Big Picture. Why he was culturally important at that specific time? Why did he get away with his crimes for so long? Who aided and abetted him? How did his fans - me included - not notice, or worse, ignore what we didn’t want to see? How were other cultural forces, such as white supremacy, were at play?
Good examples of this type of journalism can be found in the OJ Simpson: Made in America documentary or the Chasing Cosby podcast. Both of them wrestle with the heinous crimes and messy legacies of beloved entertainers.
Unfortunately the Think Twice podcast is more of a nostalgia trip than a nuanced perspective. While I enjoy nostalgia very much, I would have loved some more depth. Still, it’s a good overview of MJ’s life and career that keeps a clear eye on what was happening behind closed doors, without being as graphic as Leaving Neverland.
(If you are triggered by any of these violent topics that the aforementioned men committed, please please skip everything in this section and go get yourself an ice cream cone. I love you.)
Julie’s Current Obsession:
Creating Crossword Puzzles with Brooke Husic and Natan Last
Atlas Obscura is offering a new session of this course starting later this month. I took it a few years ago with these same instructors and it was great fun. I have no plans to create crossword puzzles, but completing them is one of my favorite daily hobbies. It was really fun to learn how they work and how to think about them.
If crosswords aren’t your thing, I’d recommend you take a stroll through the other weird and wonderful classes offered by Atlas Obscura. I’ve taken a few and they are great fun. I’m thinking of doing the Perfume Making next. Not that I want to make perfume. But wouldn’t it be fun to know how?
(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you shop using my affiliate link on Bookshop, a portion of your purchase will go to me, at no extra expense to you. Thank you for supporting indie bookstores and for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)