Judy Blume Presents at the Writers on a NE Stage Series

On June 14, the best-loved American author Judy Blume comes to Portsmouth with her latest bestselling novel for adults, just out in paperback. Blume has touched generations of readers with such memorable novels as "Summer Sisters;" "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret;" "Blubber" and "Wifey." In "In The Unlikely Event" she takes us back to 1950s Elizabeth, New Jersey, where real-life tragedy strikes as a series of airplanes fall from the sky, leaving the community reeling.

The 7 p.m. event includes an author presentation and followed by an onstage interview with Virginia Prescott, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth." It will be held at The Music Hall's Historic Theater at 28 Chestnut Street, in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Each ticket purchased includes a paperback copy of her latest bestseller "In The Unlikely Event," which has been celebrated as "vintage" Judy Blume, showing all the hallmarks of her unparalleled storytelling. It is full of memorable characters who cope with loss, remember the good times, and wonder at the joy that keeps them going.

"Judy Blume's novels are loved by many. For legions of teens and pre-teens, past and present, she is the 'source' of so much. Reading her words, you feel as though you are in the company of a true friend" said Margaret Talcott, Producer of Writers on a New England Stage. "'In The Unlikely Event'�was a phenomenal bestseller in hardcover -- that shows that her warmth and authenticity are still winning the hearts and minds of a wide reader base. It is a great honor to welcome her to The Music Hall!"

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place -- Nat King Cole singing "Unforgettable," Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat, and a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, NJ, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places, doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret;" "Superfudge;" "Blubber;" "Just As Long As We're Together" and "Forever." She has also written the bestselling novels "Wifey;" "Smart Women" and, "Summer Sisters." More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into 26 languages.

Blume received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year that American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. She has won more than ninety awards, none more important than those coming directly from her youngest readers. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild, currently as Vice President; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, where she sponsors an award for contemporary fiction; and the National Coalition Against Censorship, working to protect intellectual freedom. She is also the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation.

Blume lives on islands up and down the East Coast with her husband George Cooper. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

Writers on a New England Stage: Judy Blume will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, at The Music Hall's Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut Street, in downtown Portsmouth. Tickets are $29 ($27 for members) and include a copy of her book "In The Unlikely Event" ($15.95, paperback).

For tickets or information, call 603-436-2400 or visit www.TheMusicHall.org