"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 loneliness to watch them grow further from home.
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</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
23 August 1973
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x14
English
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"'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 guardians - "The guard us from selfishness, from the emptiness of boredom, from the terror of loneliness." He then includes a scene where his daughter's playfulness brightens a weary day.
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</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
21 February 1974
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/65" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"That Quiet Agony" John Fitch IV Column</a>
JPG, 8.5x14
English
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"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 social diseases that affect all ages rather than personal dilemmas of the young.
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</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
10 June 1975
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/55" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"'Love, The Fantom'" John Fitch IV Column</a>
JPG, 8.5x14
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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"The Tenderness" <em>The Sign</em>
This story recounts the efforts of thirteen-year-old Phillip as he tries to impress his piano teacher Sister Angela and win a spot in the orchestra for the Christmas recital.
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<em>The Sign</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
December 1947
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/145" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"St. Cecilia's and Me" St. Anthony's Messenger column 1177 Main St. USA</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"The Price of Truth" The Sign</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
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"Anniversary"<em> The Sign<br /></em>
This story's protagonist is not a youth, but a 43-year-old librarian celebrating 25 years at her post. An old lover chooses this day, of all days, to resurface in her life, causing her to consider the role her life has played in the community and what role a man should have in her life.
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<em>The Sign: National Catholic Magazine</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
September 1954
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine paper
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+short+story">Magazine short story</a>
"Between the Darkness and the Daylight" <em>The Sign</em>
This Cormier story shows the unfolding thoughts of a husband who realizes his wife is an alcoholic after finding bottles hidden throughout their home. A significant factor that affects her mental health is the wife's recent miscarriage. While the husband worries about his wife's state, he brings her alcohol to the hospital, where she has been admitted after a car accident. The enabling husband focuses attention on his plight as that man with that wife.
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<em>The Sign: National Catholic Magazine</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
January 1968
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine paper
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+short+story">Magazine short story</a>