"The Impossible Thank-You Note"
In this column Cormier writes on the impossibility of writing a simple thank you note to a mother. He writes of the great encouragement and warmth his mother offered him as a budding writer. He recounted movie plots with her on the weekends and shared his riskiest pieces with her. Included with the column is a photograph of Cormier's mother, Irma Cormier.
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<em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
October 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
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"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 love, his uncle comes to admit his own timidness in life.
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<em>The Sign</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
February 1958
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
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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 slim savings. Jerry's worldly uncle already knows its a hoax but argues that the whole family knew that to be true but wanted to dream anyway.
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<em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
April 1967
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
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<em>Heroes</em> marked typescript
In these eight typewritten pages of a <em>Heroes</em> draft, Cormier has added handwritten notes for revision. Scenes of Francis crushing on Nicole (called Dominique Cavalier in this draft) feature heavily as do the nuns and Catholic school. Also included are brief mentions of boyhood, French Canadian migration to New England, and the Wreck Center.
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Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
Annamary L. Consalvo Katharine Covino Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heroes handwritten notes</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heroes marked typescript miscellaneous pages</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heroes cut and pasted typescript pieces</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
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"Meet The Bully" John Fitch IV Column
In this bi-weekly column written under the name "John Fitch IV", Cormier recounts his childhood encounters with an unnamed bully after hearing Jonathan Winters share his experience with bullies on a talk show. Cormier wonders whether or not bullies can grow up to be good people.
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<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
11 April 1974
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/30" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Antoniak's letter to Robert Cormier April 1986</a>
Legal size xerox copy
English
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