
Half a century has passed, and while “Forever” stands as Judy Blume’s most debated novel, it is not the only one that faced censorship challenges. Her earliest works, including “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and “Deenie,” were removed from school libraries due to discussions about menstruation in the former and references to masturbation in the latter. In her own words, written on her website over 30 years ago, Blume expressed surprise at the controversy, stating that much of her writing stemmed from her personal feelings and experiences as a young girl. The inspiration for “Forever” came after her 14-year-old daughter, Randy, requested a story about two characters who have sex without either of them meeting an untimely death.