In Full Blume

Mark Oppenheimer is an unabashed Judy Blume fan. He admits that Blume’s language could be more vivid and her plots less predictable — Blume herself says as much about her writing — But he admires Blume’s ear for dialogue and is drawn to her honesty, warmth, and the cathartic nature of her work. He also thinks some of her critics are overreacting and should give Blume and her millions of readers a break.