Craig letter to Robert Cormier 16 February 1996
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 <em>Tenderness </em>manuscript. Craig explicitly mentions Karen's comments on the manuscript, though he opts for making macro-level suggestions on the draft. He shares his concerns that the novel makes huge departures from young adult literature. While Craig finds the novel and its characters gripping, he does offer some suggestions on Lori's troubling range of moral understanding and Eric's seeming self-awareness of his own monstrosity. Also of concern is the prominence of the police officer and his stereotypical treatment (as well as that of Maria). He briefly discusses mixed concerns about the use of first-person narration from Lori's perspective, Cormier has put notes in the margins indicating what suggestions he will attend to and how as well as which of his writing choices he plans to defend and preserve.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Craig+">Craig </a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
16 February 1996
Annamary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Craig 28 February 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/18" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karen Wojtyla's letter to Robert Cormier 12 March 1996</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Letter">Letter</a>
"English students go right to top with their questions" <em>The Advertiser</em>
This article highlights Cormier's generosity with his readers, as he answers a Lafayette, Louisiana school's questions about his novel <em>I Am the Cheese</em>. Students remark on the impact of talking to a living author as a real person.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Gina+Howard">Gina Howard</a>
<em>The Advertiser</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
18 April 1994
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/92" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"St. Cecilia's Parish 1999-2000 Portrait of a Parish"</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+article">Newspaper article</a>
Karen Wojtyla's letter to Robert Cormier 12 March 1996
This five-page, single-spaced editorial letter concerning <em>Tenderness</em> 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 backstory Jake is given, increase Lori's ambivalence rather than cast her as a willing accomplice to murder and reconsider his choice to close the book with Walter Clayton's suicide. Karen also mentions Craig Virden, Cormier's former editor, in redemptive ways and reveals that he had read and communicated with Cormier about <em>Tenderness </em>previously. Karen agrees with Craig on certain points, including removing Miss Kentall's lesbianism.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Karen+Wojtyla">Karen Wojtyla</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
12 March 1996
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/23" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Craig letter to Robert Cormier 16 February 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Craig 28 February 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Karen 9 April 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/17" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tenderness draft with editor's comment</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Letter">Letter</a>
Mike Gubbins's letter to Robert Cormier 18 February 1998
In this 2-page letter to Cormier, Mike, a student in Knoxville Tennessee, asks about Cormier's writing process and education, along with specific questions about <em>Heroes</em> and <em>I Am the Cheese</em>. Mike is especially interested in Cormier's inspirations and potential connection between his personal experiences and his writing.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Mike+Gubbins">Mike Gubbins</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
18 February 1998
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>Robert Cormier's letter to Mike Gubbins 6 March 1999</span></a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Letter">Letter</a>
"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 calls Fitch his fall guy and his Mr. Hyde.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
17 May 1973
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x14
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
<em>The Toybreakers</em> outline
This single page, typed, and marked outline of <em>Toybreakers</em> shows Cormier's customary global overview of a work in progress. This artifact shows Part 1, the only section of the book that exists in the archive. Cormier's handwritten notes indicate that the second half of the outline needs to be rewritten. He appears to be questioning the logical progression of Susan and Harriet's motives and actions.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
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/9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>The Toybreakers draft material</span></a>
JPG, letter size
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Typed+outline">Typed outline</a>
<em>Tenderness</em> draft with editor's comment
Twenty pages of typescript of <em>Tenderness</em> show extensive commenting and editorial markings. Pages are numbered in pencil but not all pages are consecutive. Editorial comments, presumably from Karen Wojtyla, discuss issues of continuity, suspense, perspective, and characters' behavior, motives, backstory and depth of internal thought. Comments also show an interest in the possibility of Eric redeeming himself and encouraging moments of increased ambiguity. The markings suggest making Lori more frightened and innocent and Eric more socially adept, confident and less monstrous as the novel comes to an end.<br /><br />The nonconsecutive pages of the novel include scenes of disposing of Alicia's body, ejecting Lori from Harmony House, a phone call between Eric and Maria to arrange a meeting, feeding the swans, and Lori and Eric's drive to a motel where Eric begins an attempt at killing Lori. Also included is a section of the fairground scene, the incident at Mirror Lake, and Walter Clayton committing suicide.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
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/22" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karen Wojtyla's letter to Robert Cormier 9 April 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Karen 20 May 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Karen 9 April 1996</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/18" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karen Wojtyla's letter to Robert Cormier 12 March 1996</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Typescript+draft">Typescript draft</a>
<em>Tenderness</em> review in <em>The Bulletin</em>
<em>The Bulletin</em>'s review of Cormier's novel <em>Tenderness</em> sticks mostly to the novel's plot and is positive overall, though it criticizes the novel's "clichèd action and stock characterization." The review also mentions the influence of thrillers and melodramas in its plot structure and pacing.
<em>The Bulletin</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
April 1997
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+review">Magazine review</a>