The Blume Saloon: A Judy Blume Book Podcast

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 21-22. In this Judy Blume kidlit classic, Sally receives some painterly Peter intel and a masterful passive aggressive letter from Chrissy. Andrea gets mad (again), Omar meets a tragic fate (you're always in our hearts!), and mom dodges the sex talk. Jody and Alison read an illuminating letter from Blume Head Danielle about British Ballet, Miami's...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 19-20. Sally has a foot fungus and gets competitive over Margaret O'Brien's ballet slipper, Douglas finds a crunchy surprise in his chow mein, and Peter Hornstein rudely compares Sally to New Girl Jackie. Jody and Alison obsess over this wonderful Judy Blume novel about friends, frenemies, and family set in 1940s Miami Beach. Get ready for some gre...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 17-18. Join Jody and Alison as they read, re-enact, and discuss this fan-fave Judy Blume novel! Sally fancies herself a mixologist and tries homemade creme de cacao, Virus X makes its way through Miami Beach, Barbara shares a family secret, and Shelby goes missing (watch your back, Mr. Zavodsky!). Your hosts chat about Beverly Cleary (RIP, legend),...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 15-16. In this iconic children's novel by Judy Blume, Sally gets chastised for playing with paper dolls, is brutally attacked by a man o' war, and kicked in the face by Georgia Blue Eyes. Jody and Alison ponder the art of convalescence, read TWO letters from UK Blume Heads, and Alison presents a very thorough Siphonophore Special Report. Thanks to...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 13-14. Jody and Alison read and examine this beloved Judy Blume novel in which Omar the cat gets in trouble, Sally and Andrea drink from the "wrong" water fountain, and creepazoid Mr. Zavodsky continues to peddle candy EVEN THOUGH HE CAN'T EAT IT. The gals discuss Berkeley walkabouts, 1940s radio programmes, and Hitler's gross teeth. If you are hav...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapter 12. Comedy writer and podcaster Molly Sanchez joins us to discuss one of the most iconic chapters we've ever read! Doey Bird comes to visit for Thanksgiving, Mom gets wasted (hashtag WILLYA), Sally seduces/kills Hitler, and the fam has steak with Fruit Cup Supreme with Big Ted, Vicki, and some very clean diamonds. Jody, Alison, and Molly chat about...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 10-11. Sally has an inkwell mishap (thanks, Peter Hornstein), snacks on Fig Newtons with Barbara, and learns about Latin Lovers from Andrea. We also discover the unbelievably tragic fate of Daddy's entire family. Will he even live to see 43?! Alison and Jody discuss all the Miami Beach goings-on, including another run-in with creepy Mr. Zavodsky an...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 8-9. Sally's been busy. She plays approximately one thousand games of Jolly Roger, covers her body in peanuts, attempts to out Mr. Zavodsky via Bambi letterhead, and tries to solve the secret Bath House Disease mystery. Jody and Alison chat about the bald-faced lies they told to get out of school, house mice, and Witch TikTok. Blume Head Michelle p...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 6-7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDES!!! Alison and Jody celebrate by discussing this fantastic kidlit classic by Judy Blume! Our gal Sal tries Miami school again and meets Miss Swetnick of the Heart Shaped Glasses, cool pal Barbara, and not-cool doorless bathrooms. She also meets Mr. Zavodsky, aka Adolf Hitler in hiding! There's bike riding in Flamingo Park,...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 4-5. Choo choo! All aboard the Miami train for some Judy Blume goodness! Sally, Douglas, Mom, and Ma Fanny take the overnight train to Florida and have a pyjama party! Sally ain't impressed with their new apartment (not even a Murphy bed will change her mind) and has a truly terrible first day at school. Alison and Jody chat head lice, the Orange B...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," chapters 2-3. Get out your pink Spalding ball and join us for this incredible Judy Blume novel. We're back in 1947: Sally eats tongue with raisin sauce, spends time in the BORDELLO bath tub, bosses her friends around, and learns she'll be spending the winter in Miami Beach! She also dreams up a thrilling story about saving Lila from the Gestapo and nursing...

"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself," prologue and chapter 1. Who's ready to dive right into this 1977 Judy Blume novel?! The gals set the scene for 1947 by digging into the events, movies, and fashion of the era. Hellooooo full skirts, country musicals, and Doomsday Clocks! The Freedmans celebrate the end of World War II with grape jelly and puke, Douglas has an accident in Union Woods, and Sa...

A fond farewell to Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer"! Jody and Alison present Special Reports on West Oakland, the name Afua, women poets of the Black Panther party, and a deep dive into Rita's life and writing approach. Special guest Carolyn hops on the phone with Jody to chat about her memories growing up in Oakland, encounters with Panther leaders, and some wild times at San Francisco g...

The "One Crazy Summer" finale — a Christmas Miracle! Alison and Jody discuss Rita Williams-Garcia's beautiful book about three sisters spending the summer of 1968 in Oakland. Cecile turns up at the Panther rally and embarks upon a new relationship with Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern. We discover Fern's alternate name and learn about Cecile's difficult past. Come on inside the Cocoon for dramatic read...

OMG, best chapters ever. We cover 28-30 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia and cannot believe what just happened! No spoilers here, but we will tell you that Fern takes a turn, Delphine conquers her fears, and Vonetta is actually pretty chill. Join Alison and Jody as they reenact some epic scenes, including a go-kart challenge and the extremely successful Black Panther rally. They chat...

Get cozy for chapters 25-27 of Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer"! The Gaither sisters spend a magical day in San Francisco - they meet real live 1968 hippies, they eat fresh fortune cookies in Chinatown, and ride their first cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. The magical moment comes crashing down when they get back to West Oakland and find that... CECILE HAS BEEN ARRESTED! Aside from the usu...

Join Alison and Jody for some snazzy jazz poetry, spoiled mulled wine, and chapters 22-24 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia! Delphine gets her own second-hand kitchen stool and tries to teach Vonetta a Very Important Lesson about mothering. It doesn't work. Cecile/Nzila works her letterpress like the true kitchen poet goddess she is. The sisters set off for SAN FRANCISCO, but not befor...

Chapters 19-21 of Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer" (2010)! Delphine learns about Li'l Bobby Hutton, decides she doesn't wanna go to the Center anymore, and makes a new cool friend! Vonetta and Fern have show biz dreams and plan their song and dance routine for the big Black Panther rally. Cecile is still scary. Jody presents a mini Special Report on Bobby Hutton's 1968 murder at the hands...

Here we come... walkin' down the streeeeeet! Join us for chapters 16-18 of Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer" about three sisters spending time with the Black Panthers in 1968 Oakland. Delphine has words with Hirohito Woods and decides to cook an entire meal for her family (she's 11, y'all). We catch a glimpse of Cecile's mystery kitchen and see her ever-so-slightly softer side. The sisters...

Well helloooo! It's been a minute, Blume Heads! Note: this unreleased episode was recorded back in August (hence the references to summer and "Virgo Season"), but we will be back next week with more current recordings as per usual. This week we cover chapters 14-15 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia. Vonetta ditches her sisters to join the mean Ankton girls and desecrates poor Miss Patt...

Alison and Jody discuss chapters 11-13 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia! The Gaither sisters stick around to attend the Black Panther Kids Club to learn about the Revolution but become a laughing stock when Vonetta and Fern embarrass Delphine with their enthusiastic outbursts. Delphine works up the guts to ask about Cecile's name change, and we finally learn what Nzila really means. S...

Get out your white go-go boots and settle in for chapters 9-10 of Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer." Cecile sends her daughters out into the wild in search of breakfast. They have a stand-off with Beak Man over Miss Pattycake and eat cold eggs with orange slices. Al and Jody provide an insider exclusive about their "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" focus group and do an impromptu mini...

Chapters 7-8 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia! Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern spy on a secret Black Panther meeting, put themselves to bed, and have an ice water standoff with Cecile. Delphine also meets Cecile's roommate: a giant pair of angel wings. Alison and Jody do some dramatic readings and analysis, talk about their favorite Muppets, and get into some existential weirdness. Thank...

Order up some lo mein and a Pepsi, it's time for chapters 5-6 of "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia! First and foremost, please excuse Jody's terrible sound quality (we blame Gremlins). Delphine and her sisters are starving, so Cecile barricades the verboten kitchen and sends them out to fetch dinner from Ming's. They make a pricey call to Big Ma and meet a boy with a Burning Man wheelchai...

We're in Oakland, baby! Chapters 3-4 of Rita Williams-Garcia's "One Crazy Summer" (2010), the novel about three sisters spending the summer of 1968 with their estranged mother. Delphine and crew meet a shady-looking Cecile at the airport and are whisked away to the funky green stucco structure they'll be calling home for 28 days. We quickly learn that Cecile is no Carol Brady – what is going to ha...