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"That Tender Touch" book review of Tenderness
This review addresses the novel Tenderness as a book for older, young adult readers. Much of the piece focuses on Cormier's portrayals of Eric and Lori. The author contends that the two teens, though different in many ways, share a twisted search for…
"That Summer"
In this short story, 15-year-old Jean-Paul visits his uncle in Canda to recover from an extended illness. During his stay, he develops a crush for an older woman from Montreal, as does his uncle. While Jean-Paul comes of age through this unrequited…
"That Quiet Agony" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"That Certain Child" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"Suddenly She's 10 Years Old" St. Anthony's Messenger column 1177 Main St. USA
This column recounts Cormier's daughter's transitional stage as a ten-year-old. Among the topics of discussion are her love of horses and her new-found preoccupation with getting the right haircut and crushing on television actors.
"St. Cecilia's Parish 1999-2000 Portrait of a Parich"
This article praises Cormier's work compiling a history of his home parish St. Cecilia's. Notably, this article presents a more circumspect account of Cormier's house burning when he was in the eighth grade, his use of St. Cecilia's for Monument's…
"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…
"Sex, Serial Killers, And Suicide" Brill's Content
Kimberly Conniff's article situates Cormier's novel Tenderness in the changing landscape of teen fiction. She uses the adjectives "gritty, immediate, and brazenly hardcore" to describe Melvin Burgess's Smack, but they could just as easily pertain to…
"Robert Cormier meets Melvin Burgess" Achuka Special
This piece is an edited conversation between Cormier and fellow young adult writer Melvin Burgess. Like Cormier, Burgess doesn't shy away from the dark side of growing up in books like Junk, which deals with heroin addiction. The facilitator asks…
"Robert Cormier London, July 2000" Achuka Special
In this piece, Cormier recounts the "excruciating" experience of being bullied but counterbalances this terror with his serene picture of family life. Featuring prominently are comments on his father's work in the comb factories, his Irish and French…
"Robert Cormier Heroes" Auditorium Guest Control Panel
This is a transcript of an online discussion panel with Cormier facilitated by Barnes and Noble. Although the Q&A focuses on the recently-released Heroes, participants also asked questions about censorship, Cormier's writing practices and…
"Readers Responding Creative Writing and YA Literature" English Journal
This article explores ways in which creative writers can craft better, more engaging Young Adult fiction. The author proposes the use of the YA short story collection Sixteen: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults, edited by Donald…
"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…
"On this day" Mass Moments
This brief sketch celebrates Cormier's life and accomplishments on his birthday. Campbell comments on how such a kind man can write such dark novels because evil appears in all places, which Cormier took note of even in his small neighborhood of…