Judy Blume: Golden Kite Luncheon Special Guest

Judy Blume needs no introduction, and this is a room full of children's book creators who are so very thrilled to be having coffee and dessert with her.

Judy is a master of transformation. She says we have to go back a 100 years to hear the start of her journey. As a young wife and mom, Judy was a creative who found herself stir crazy at home with her children. She needed to be creating.

Even Judy Blume started by writing rhyming picture books that she illustrated badly.

Fun tidbit: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was unagented book.

After 50 years of writing books, Judy and her husband George have now opened a bookstore in Key West, FL. 15,000 books and 5,000 titles. Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West is a locally-owned, nonprofit, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore.

"I have always believed that writers never retire," Judy says. Lin asks if Judy has retired from writing. Judy expresses that she's written everything she wanted to say, but then she adds, "But there's this one little thing..."

These words set the room abuzz...I think she's sharing a little something she didn't anticipate sharing with hundreds of fans.

"Writing changed my life. Writing saved my life. Writing made my life."

Now that she is a bookseller, Judy only hands sells a book she's read, and she loves to read first novels. I think I speak for pretty much all of us, how much we would love to have Judy Blume hand sell us a book at her bookstore. And, she's invited us all to come and see her at Books & Books, but slowly please.

Judy doesn't have any regrets, but she has had a lot of challenges. "Haven't we all?" If she would have shared one word at the opening of the conference it would have been: DETERMINATION.

"You can have all the talent in the world and if you're not determined you're going to let something stop you from doing it."

Judy has been a major supporter of the SCBWI from early on, and she is a member of the board. Lin asks her why she is here with us today, why she continues to be such a wonderful supporter.

Judy shares that it's first because she fell in love with Lin and Steve. She also shares how much it would have meant to her as a new writer to have a group like this, to have her peeps. She didn't have that when she started.

"I love it," Judy says.

And we love Judy Blume.