Browse Items (133 total)

%22Head Over Heels%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this column Robert Cormier, writing under his pseudonym John Fitch IV dons the hat of a film and television critic. He extolls the virtues of Julie Nixon Eisenhower while deriding Jack Paar and his show; he praises the film Paper Moon and its star…

%22Trying To Convince My Heart%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this column Cormier shares the bittersweet feeling of a parent saying goodbye to his child, over and over again, as she grows up. Even in the happy moments of children's summer trip to camp, the Cape, or their first crushes, he feels a pang of…

%22'Love, The Fantom'%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier shares a time when he saw a large, strong man and his very young daughter. The man said that the girl was his 'guardian.' Cormier considers that idea here - unpacking what it means to view your children as your…

%22Beauty That Lingers%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this column, Cormier talks about seeing two groups of women - one older and one younger. He then shares a poem about the fleeting nature of beauty. He talks about "how age has its own beauty despite the sadness of spent years." He encourages…

%22Making Her Own Rainbow%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this column Cormier shares a sweet story about his daughter trying to make a rainbow using sunlight and water. He hopes that she will see a real rainbow one day. He closes with a story of three children and their father whose truck got stuck in…

%22Not Exactly Speaking 'Personally'%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
This column is one of a handful that deals with Cormier's thoughts on gender-neutral language. On the whole, he seems to think such language is "ridiculous." In an especially telling paragraph, he shares how he wants equal rights for women, in the…

%22The Sexes And The Guidelines%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In his column, Cormier rails against the suggestions of publishers that writers be more mindful of gender-linked language - a trend he sees as ridiculous and potentially dangerous to creativity as it could trigger excessive self-censorship. While he…

%22As The Hour Nears%22 John Fitch IV Column Please Don't Go Away....jpeg
In this column, Cormier discusses the magic of Santa and the innocence of childhood. His daughter, seven going on eight, isn't sure if she believes in Santa any longer. But she writes to him just in case, and she tries her best to stay up late to…

%22And So On -- Father Of The Bride%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
In this column, Cormier considers a bride and groom. He thinks about the bride and the child she was (and continues to be) in the eyes of her father. He reflects on the giving away of the bride as a culminating goodbye after many others: when the…

%22Ballerina, Turn Around%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
Here Cormier talks about his eight-year-old daughter. Much of the article consists of him offering various numbers that define her - her age, her weight, her height, etc. These numbers, this arithmetic terrifies him - for each day that proceeds she…

%22That Quiet Agony%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
In this piece, Cormier considers three states - loneliness, shyness, and boredom - and the role they play in our lives. While loneliness has gotten more popular attention, boredom and shyness rarely appear in popular music or receive recognition as…

%22That Certain Child%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
This piece shares Cormier's daughter's reaction to her father's column that focused on her figures and arithmetic. When she tells him how embarrassed she felt, he thinks about how this would not have happened when she was younger and less aware of…

%22The Good Word%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
In this column, Cormier discusses the new style guide released by the New York Times, particularly their recommendations related to gender-linked language. Of particular offense to him is the substitution of person for man and the use of the pronoun…

%22And So On -- Letter from Gloria%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
In this piece, Cormier recounts how he received a letter from Gloria Steinem advertising the magazine, Ms. He reveals his consistent (if somewhat ambivalent) take on feminism. On the one hand, he states "I have never hidden the fact that I am an…

%22Crazy About Horses%22 John Fitch IV Column .jpeg
Here Cormier talks about his young daughter's recent interest in horses. First, he outlines some of her past interests - medicine, veterinary medicine, thoughts about becoming a jockey. Then, he shares her passion for horses and riding. He thinks…
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