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"Pretend, A Verb: To Make Believe"
In this short story, Jerry's father receives a questionnaire attached to a letter from New York about an inheritance. The family spends the summer dreaming of the amount they would receive and that optimism carries them through a summer layoff and…
"One Could Do Worse Than Be a Househusband" St. Anthony's Messenger column, 1177 Main St. USA
In this column, Cormier describes his daily routine as a househusband. He writes at home, does the shopping, cooks dinner, get his daughter off of the bus, cleans house, and meets with friends and neighbors at lunch. He states that none of these…
"St. Cecilia's and Me" St. Anthony's Messenger column 1177 Main St. USA
In this column, Cormier writes about the closing of his alma mater, St. Cecilia's. He talks of his memories of the school including the house fire he witnessed from his classroom, his crush on Sister Emile who taught music, the poem on spring he…
Christmas in the Home: A Father's Blessing
In this short story, Cormier writes about a Christmas and New Year in French Canadian style and a blessing his father gave him at his request.
Tags: Autobiography, Christmas, Cormier's father, Death, French-Canadian, Memory, Son, Sports, Television
1177 Main St. USA, September 1971
In this column, Cormier recounts his wife calling him out on faking the music he is listening to in a previous column. He normalizes the behavior by recounting several instances where, as a parent, he must pretend to have good advice, know the…
1177 Main St. USA, June 1972
In this column, Cormier writes of staying up late waiting for his college-aged daughter and high school-aged son to come home on a Friday night. He takes pleasure in their little evening rituals and small talk and thinks back to his father's own…
177 Main St. USA, July 1972
In this column, Cormier writes about the age transitions all four of his children are experiencing: 4 to 5, 12 to 13, 15 to 16, and 20 to 21. Each stage is a different moment in time. Near the end of the column, Cormier talks of how parents also pass…
Tags: Daughter, Fatherhood, Gender, Growing Up, Manhood, Son, Time
1177 Main St. USA, August 1972
In this column, Cormier writes of embracing middle age and the ease that comes from no longer worrying about the hustle and struggles of younger years. While he still feels like the same person, he also notes a disconnect with his aging body. He also…
Robert Cormier's letter to Miss Marilyn Marlow undated
In this letter to his agent, Cormier discusses current and forthcoming projects, particularly surrounding a potential novel on French-Canadians in New England. Cormier shows a remarkable degree of self-awareness in assessing his own writing,…
"Goodbye Little Girl" Woman's Own
In Cormier's short story "Goodbye Little Girl" a father comes to grips with his daughter encountering her first love. The father is skeptical of the boy and expresses sadness in the idea of being replaced by a boy who can make her happy when he…
Tags: Dance, Dating, father-daughter relationship, Growing Up, Love, Short Stories, Sports
"Charlie Mitchell, You Rat, Be Kind to My Little Girl" McCall's
This short story features a father coming to grips with his daughter falling in love for the first time. It is difficult not to read this story as autobiographical or to overlook the gender bias regarding a woman's ability to think logically. This…
Tags: Dance, Dating, father-daughter relationship, Growing Up, Logic, Love, Short Stories, Sports
"The Trouble with Parents" Woman's Own
This piece recounts a boy's discomfort with watching his parents argue, as told in his trademark detailed narrative style. By talking to his parents, he finds their similarities. His sister's observations also inform him of the role of nonverbal…
Tags: Communication, Divorce, Parents, Short Stories
"A Bad Time for Fathers" Woman's Day
This short piece recounts Cormier's bittersweet feelings as his daughter prepares to leave for college in Boston. The father shares an awkward exchange with the daughter's boyfriend, who is also distraught that he will be far away from her. While the…
"Mine on Thursdays" Woman's Day
This story recounts a father's visit with his daughter Holly, who is "his on Thursdays." The father realizes that he has been bribing his daughter for her love rather than having a meaningful role in her life.
"Bunny Berigan-Wasn't He a Musician or Something?" Redbook Magazine
In this story, two middle-aged men meet at a restaurant, where Walt tells Jerry he's leaving his wife for another woman. The situation becomes even more awkward when said other woman, Jennifer, arrives on the scene. Walt tries to normalize…
Tags: Aging, Beauty, Divorce, Infidelity, Marriage, Short Stories