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"Not Exactly Speaking 'Personally'" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"Making Her Own Rainbow" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"Beauty That Lingers" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"'Love, The Fantom'" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"Trying To Convince My Heart" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"Head Over Heels" John Fitch IV Column
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…
"The Hair Cut" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier tells the story of his daughter's haircut experience, with all the excitement and anxiety that entails for a young girl. He touches on his own barbershop anxieties and his opinions on women's hairstyles. He is…
"Dear John: Please Don't Go Away..." John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier conducts an interview with himself. That is, John Fitch IV talks to Bob Cormier. Cormier praises Fitch's worldliness, finesse, audacity, and charm with the ladies that he cannot get away with himself. Cormier…
"A Purple Lollipop In Hand" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier talks about visiting various places with his daughter. Their divergent observations, preferences, and feelings about the stops - libraries, cemeteries, ponds, etc. - again reveal her innocence and his age. He…
"Words that Linger" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV piece, Cormier shares a conversation he had with his 6-year-old daughter about his 10 favorite words in the English language. Their conversation was spurred on by Cormier's reading of several such lists of beautiful and ugly…
Robby's letter to Robert Cormier 19 December 2000
In this one-page typed letter to Cormier, Robby shares his positive experience with reading the novel Heroes. The novel helped Robby deal with some intense emotions, especially anger, and made him grateful to have a caring family and a home to come…
Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 11 February 1999
In this e-mail, the "In Brief" team asks Cormier some follow-up interview questions after making their initial inquiries eight days earlier. They ask about modern challenges, Cormier's own adolescent baggage, and request further elaboration on his…
Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 3 February 1999
This e-mail presents a series of interview questions to Cormier from the Waterstones "In Brief" team out of Newcastle. Questions cover several topics including Cormier's journalism experience, Frenchtown, adolescence, large institutions, controversy,…
"The Sand in the Oyster So What Really Happened?" Horn Book Magazine
This article explores the increased presence of ambivalence and ambiguity in young adult novels. While the article discusses Cormier's work heavily, Patty Campbell also references YA authors Walter Dean Myers, Lois Lowry, Terry Trueman, and David…
Delacorte Books for Young Readers Reading Group Guide
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…