Browse Items (25 total)

Worcester Phoenix Tenderness review.jpeg
This review explores Cormier's novel Tenderness. It touches upon the terrifying realism of the plot and the characters. Later, it quotes Cormier's discussion regarding character development; specifically the ways that characters come alive for him…

Tenderness Reader's Companion Folder.jpeg
This Reader's Companion includes a biography of Cormier, an interview with him, a summary of Tenderness, and suggested discussion questions. Included with the companion is a promotional letter from the editor, Craig Virden, who talks about the…

Trenton Keim 5 May 2000.jpeg
In this letter, presumably responding to a student, Robert Cormier shares his sources of inspiration for Tenderness that came from the news and his adolescence. He shares that Wickburg is a fictionalized version of Worcester, MA and encourages the…

Robert Cormier's letter to Karen 9 April 1996.jpeg
This one-page letter from Cormier accompanied his revised Tenderness draft. He addresses the character shifts he made with Lori and Eric and expresses his gratitude for her comments and his contentment with the revised version of the novel.

Robert Cormier's letter to Karen 20 May 1996.jpeg
This two-page letter to Karen Wojtyla details his response to the copy editor's comments on Tenderness. The changes frequently address word choice, names, ages, and quote attributions.

Robert Cormier's letter to Judy 28 May 1997.jpeg
In this one-page typed reply to Judy's letter, Robert Cormier confirms that the quick pacing of Tenderness was deliberate. He mentions that he created the character of Lori well before beginning the actual novel. He concludes by praising Judy's…

Debra Bunn 6 March 1999.jpeg
In this short half-page letter, Cormier thanks Debra for choosing Tenderness as her senior thesis. He reveals that one inspiration for this character Lori came from a girl he knew whose life he pitied. He was also interested in the humanity of serial…

Robert Cormier's letter to Craig 28 February 1996.jpeg
In this four-page letter to his editor, Craig Virden, Robert Cormier defends his decision to label Tenderness a YA novel even though it features some departures from the genre, including an older protagonist and a morally ambiguous main character in…

Ashley Hardiman 14 April 1998.jpeg
In this brief letter, Cormier points to Tenderness as a reflection of rampant violence in the real world and expresses hope that even monsters like Eric Poole can be saved.

22_Karen Wojtyla's letter to Robert Cormier 9 April 1996.jpeg
In this one page typed, Cormier's Bantam editor Karen Wojtyla confirms receipt of his revisions to  Tenderness. She encourages Cormier on his progress with the novel and informs him of the timeline for bound and unbound galleys.

18_Karen Wojtyla letter to Robert Cormier 12 March 1996 C17 folder 10 page 1.jpeg
This five-page, single-spaced editorial letter concerning Tenderness from the editor, Karen Wojtyla (Bantam Doubleday Dell), constructively critiques the work in progress. She asks him to mention "monster" only sparingly, to reconsider how much…

Judyy's letter to Robert Cormier 13 May 1997.jpeg
This one-page typed letter is from a friend of "Bob and Connie". Judy confesses her fascination with serial killers, especially Ted Bundy, and praises the powerful characterization in Cormier's Tenderness. She speaks about her uncomfortable empathy…

J Lattre's letter to Connie and Robert Cormier 6 January 1998.jpeg
In this two-page typed letter, a friend of the Cormiers praises Robert's latest novel, Tenderness, and promises to float it as a possible topic at reading groups. Lattre praises Cormier's ability to write from the perspective of a teenage girl and…

Delacorte Books for Young Readers Reading Group Guide.jpeg
This draft version of Delacorte Press's reading guide for Robert Cormier's novel Tenderness presents the final 16 discussion questions and five others that were not selected for the publisher's Reader's Companion. The questions range from fairly…

Craig letter to Robert Cormier 16 February 1996.jpeg
In this four-page letter from Cormier's editor, Craig Virden, it is apparent that Craig consulted with his colleague, Karen Wojtyla, and other editors at Bantam Doubleday Dell regarding the Tenderness manuscript. Craig explicitly mentions Karen's…
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